To Change the Future
by Beji
Summary: AU: What if Vegeta was forced to raise Bra alone? Angst, love, time-travel... ***Epilogue added, very very complete!!!***
1. TCtF Chapter 1

 Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, though I wish I did! 

The only character I own is Kio, (who appears in the end ^_^) so PLEASE don't use her without permission.

    I guess this is kinda A/U. GT never happened, and Dragonballs and Senzu DO NOT EXIST!!! The dragonballs make it far to easy to make everything right again. So I repeat:

           ******THE DRAGONBALLS DO NOT EXIST IN THIS STORY******

**         ***NEITHER DO SENZU BEANS!!!*****

If you have a problem with that, I guess you can leave!! ^_~ But I would much rather you stayed to r&r!!

 I would like to dedicate this story to my best friend Allyson, who has ALWAYS been there for me, I can only hope I've done as well for her! 

 Constructive criticism is always welcome! This is still kind of a rough draft, so I will be periodically revising it.

Jaa, ENJOY!!

                                                          To Change the Future

        Vegeta lay alone. As he glanced to the empty side of the bed, he could feel tears forming in his eyes, and he didn't care if they fell, he was alone. Alone. The word hurt more than it should have, but 'alone' had taken on a whole new meaning for him. He wasn't totally alone, he amended; Bra was still with him. She was sleeping on a small pallet on the floor. After the 3 year old had had a nightmare about her father leaving too, she had insisted on sleeping in his room.

        Bulma and Trunks' death had affected him more deeply than he would ever let on to anyone besides his daughter.  He had heard that the breaking of the bond between mates was painful, but he never imagined it would be this horrible, all-consuming. It was only a month ago that they had died, but he knew the memories would never fade. His mate and son, in the front seat of the aircar, bodies crushed almost beyond recognition by the oncoming tractor-trailer that had slammed into them at an unbelievable speed. Bra, in her carseat in the back, crying loudly, but without a scratch. 

         He had carried Bra home in a daze, he had felt numb and disconnected, had prayed it was all some terrible nightmare, and he would wake up with Bulma in his arms, sleeping peacefully. But he didn't wake up. He attended the funeral, had received looks of disdain from the Z senshi, except the Son family. They alone had spent enough time in the Briefs household to know how deeply they loved each other, though they rarely showed it. Vegeta knew the others thought he didn't care, just because he didn't burst into a puddle of tears, nor did he talk about how kind and beautiful his mate had been, or how strong and determined his son was. There were some things words could not do justice to.  Chi-Chi tried to comfort him, but he simply turned his back and flew off, clutching Bra tightly to his chest. The small child cried into his shirt, as he fought the urge to weep with her. 

         Bra stirred, a small sob escaping her mouth. Vegeta knelt by the girl, and stroked hair from her forehead. Blue hair, exactly like her mother's. He sighed, knowing that he would not feel Bulma's soft hair again.  Bra opened her eyes and looked at her father. "Papa," she said pitifully, stretching her arms toward him. He obliged by picking her up and holding her close. Vegeta sat on the edge of the bed, and gently rocked his little girl back to sleep. He breathed deeply, and winced when he detected Bulma's sweet scent. It had become increasingly difficult to walk around the house when all he could smell was Bulma and Trunks. 

        Laying Bra gently on the bed, Vegeta walked down the hall to Bra's room. He pulled out a few articles of clothing, no dresses, and carried them back to his room.  He lay the clothing on top of his and Bulma's dresser, then pulled out some of his own clothing. After putting their few belongings in a bag with a picture of his lost family members, Vegeta picked up Bra in one hand and the bag in his other, and took off out the window.

                                                                        *        *        *

         Bulma sighed, exasperated with her son. 

         "Come on Okaasan, there's nothing here for us, why not?" Trunks wailed.

          "Because we can't just burst in and say, 'Hey, seeing as we have no friends left in our timeline, mind if we move here?' It's not our world! Things could get crazy having two Trunks' and Bulma's running around their time!" His mother answered.

         "Kaasan, not to change the subject, but…"

         Bulma exhaled loudly, "Go ahead."

          "The time machine has really been bugging me lately."

          "What, is it stalking you?" Bulma joked.

          "Kaasan! You're making it very difficult to talk to you! Anyway, I can't help thinking that there's a way to go back in time without jumping to another timeline. I think that we should try to modify it, to go back in _our_ time."

        "Son, we've been working on that piece of junk non-stop since you got back. What's done is done." This conversation was going nowhere, fast.

        "Kaasan, couldn't the Bulma in their time help? I mean, two geniuses oughta be able to figure it out, don't you think?" Trunks' sudden change in tactics caused Bulma to look at her son suspiciously.

        "Trunks, I'm sick of arguing with you about this! If the only way to get you off my back about this is to go, then let's do it."

        "Great, I knew you'd see it my way!" Trunks grinned.

        "Quit deluding yourself, I'm not 'seeing it your way'. I'm sick of your whining! We'll go back, and I will prove myself right."

End Prologue

So, whaddya think? More coming soon!  You can email me at dbzfan@cox.net  Just to warn you, I am a perfectionist, and it will take _little_ while to bring more chapters, but when I do, at least they'll be good, dammit!! ^_^

Please review!!


	2. TCtF Chapter 2

I just wanted to clear a few things up for every body who DID NOT read my A/N last time… 

*************IN THIS A/U, FOR WHATEVER REASON, **

**                     _THE DB'S AND SENZU  BEANS  _****_DO NOT EXIST_****!!!! ZIP, **

**                NADA,  ZILCH!!**************

ALSO…I MADE _BRA AND PAN THE SAME AGE___FOR MY OWN *cough* evil *cough*  PURPOSES ^_~

 So anyway, on to the STORY!!

Chapter 1

*Fifteen years later, normal timeline*

       A rude buzzing awakened Bra, who was dozing at her desk in Capsule Corporation.

       "Briefs-san? Briefs-san? The product management team is waiting for you in conference room 2F. They're getting rather impatient ma'am." Bra growled softly at the annoying nasal voice coming through the speaker on her desk. She glanced at the clock on the wall, only five minutes late.

       "Well, Hiromi," Bra started, pressing a small button, "Tell them I'm in the middle of something very important and that I'll be with them in ten minutes." 

       "I would ma'am, but they asked me why you were late, so I looked in on you and saw that you were resting, so…"

       "You _told_ them I was napping!? How many times have we discussed tact and diplomacy, Hiromi? And here's a bright idea. Wake. Me. Up!" The girl had proven repeatedly that she was far too inexperienced to be the secretary to the president of CC, Bra decided. This had to end, now.

       "Hiromi, you go tell everyone in 2F that I'm rescheduling the meeting for the day after tomorrow at 2pm. Then I want you to gather up everything in your desk, and leave. I'll continue your pay for two months, so you can find another job. Good luck Hiromi-chan, keep in touch." Bra sighed and laid her forehead on the hardwood desk. She hated to let Hiromi go, but she just wasn't secretary material.

       "Yes ma'am." Hiromi whispered over the com, her voice breaking. Bra sighed again and rushed out of her office, to where the black-haired girl was gathering up her things, valiantly trying not to burst into tears on the spot.  As she laid her hand on the girls shoulder, Bra remembered that Hiromi was wonderful with numbers, if not with people. 

       "Hiromi, I'm pretty sure there's an opening in Accounting.  I…might be able to pull a few strings." Bra said gently. The girls face lit up immediately, and Bra smiled.

       "Hontou? Arigatou, Briefs-san!" She flung her arms around her employer, hugging her tightly. 

       "Doitashimashite. Now let go before you choke me. I'll give you a call when they're ready for you. In the meantime, it seems you have a few days off." Bra walked away, nodding her head at the many compliments and debts of gratitude Hiromi yelled to her.

       Once back in her spacious office, Bra made a few calls to ensure she would have a new secretary in the morning. One more call to Accounting, informing them of the new recruit and Bra retreated to the bathroom to change into her comfy clothes.

       She was about to leave via her office window, when her cell phone rang, almost startling her off the edge. Wishing she could throw the small piece of plastic out the window ahead of her, Bra answered.

       "Moshi moshi?"

       "Bra-san, you were going shopping today?"

       "Ah, Goten-kun! Are you offering me a ride and a shopping buddy?"

       "Hai, I guess I am." He replied somewhat sheepishly.

       "Well, I was just about to take off out of my window, where are you?" Bra was almost positive the man had a crush on her. She wasn't surprised though. She flirted with him shamelessly when her father wasn't around. She had learned not to flirt with _anybody_ when Vegeta was around. The guy was always the one blamed, and he usually got a good old-fashioned ass whooping for his troubles.

       "I'm sitting out front, so I guess I'll hang up now. Mata ne."

       "Hai, mata ne." Bra spotted Goten's baby blue convertible, and she leapt from the window, controlling her descent 'til she landed neatly in the passenger seat. The 52-story fall was always invigorating, and Bra grinned viciously when Goten jumped slightly in surprise. He glared at her before starting the car and taking off.

       "You really ought to take the elevator, Bra. One of these days somebody is going to wonder why the president of Capsule Corp. is leaping out of her window." He sounded like his brother, and Bra quickly recognized the lecture tone that Gohan had become famous, or infamous for.

       "I was thinking of heading to the mall first, Touchan needs some new training wear, and I need to restock my shampoo and such." Bra cut in quickly, attempting to evade the brotherly talk without seeming rude. 

       Busted.

       Goten gave her a 'fine-I'll-let-you-off-easy-this-time' look and focused on the road. Bra rolled her eyes. They had long passed the big-brother-little-sister phase in their relationship, and were now close friends. Bra couldn't help wondering sometimes if they had even ascended beyond friendship.

       "So, the mall it is then." He growled, somewhat disgruntled.

       "Aw, quit your belly-aching Goten. I didn't ride with you to hear you lecture me on safety and then whine when I don't wanna hear about how I shouldn't leap out of a 60 story building." She grinned and patted him on the head like he was a small child. Goten blushed slightly, but kept his eyes on the road, and Bra detected a small smile on his lips. Was he that far gone?

       The blue-haired girl leaned back in her seat with her arms folded, and thought hard about Goten. Or more specifically, how she felt about him. She quickly decided that she wouldn't mind going out with him. Pan would probably laugh if she found out that Bra _liked_ her uncle. She might have to bring this up in conversation today, as long as they were shopping together.

       Bra was pulled out of her reverie by Goten turning off the air car. Glancing about quickly she noted that they were in the parking garage of South Satan City shopping mall. She waited in her seat for a few moments, curious as to whether or not Goten would open her door. 

       He did.

       Bra smiled victoriously as they walked towards the entrance to the shopping mall. 

                                                     *               *               *

       A loud bang followed by a string of curses was heard and Trunks crossed the lab to where Bulma was sitting in the time machine, sucking on her wounded knuckle. 

       "Damn machine, why did I fasten that seat in there so tight?" She muttered around her knuckle, scowling furiously.

       "You know Kaasan, we could skip this whole process and you could just ride on my lap." Trunks suggested.

       "Dammit Trunks, I'm not sitting on your lap for what was it? _Eight_ _hours_? I'm putting another seat in here if it kills me!" Bulma turned away and began working on the seat again, and Trunks peeked over her shoulder into the small space within the machine. Judging by the amount of space available, two seats small enough to fit would be much less comfortable than his mother sitting on his lap. 

       "Um, Kaasan?"

       Another curse.

       "What _is_ it Trunks?"

       "I was just thinking—"

       "Well _there's_ a change."

       "I was _thinking_ that there's no way you're gonna fit another sit in there. Unless it's a _really_ small seat."

       Bulma sighed loudly. "I know, it still would have been nice though. _I've _been thinking too, and, I wanna go to their timeline but I want to be there in the same time that we're in. You see? I mean, the time where you and their Trunks are the same age." She seemed  tired all of a sudden, her previous bad mood lost.

       "Okay, but you need to rest before we go." Trunks lifted his mother gently out of the time machine and carried her to the couch. Bulma fell asleep as soon as he laid her down, and he left to gather up a few snacks to have on their trip.

End Chapter 1 

Tell me what you think!! Please forgive me, I'm absolutely horrible at writing romance, perhaps because I have no experience in that area…   -_-'

  So, please please PLEASE REVIEW!!!

       Also, I'm looking for anyone willing to beta read for me. Please email me at dbzfan@cox.net if you're interested!!


	3. TCtF Chapter 3

Disclaimer: What disclaimer? I _am_ the great Akira Toriyama! My brain was transplanted into the body of a 15 year old girl, and I now spend my time online reading and writing fanfiction for the story I created!

Give me _such_ a break…

       My utmost thanks to the _few_ people who reviewed last chapter! Thank you!! ^____^

       Sorry this chapter took a little while to get out, there was a strange shortage of the **_REVIEWS_** needed to motivate the writer! So…PLEASE REVIEW! It really boosts my morale, and I get chapters moving faster. I have no earthly idea how long this fic is gonna be, as new plot ideas continue to blossom in my brain J

       So anywho…Lots of REVIEWS are welcome ^__~ (and needed, perhaps!)

       I'm sort of a to-the-point kind of person, so let me know if I'm not putting enough detail in the story. Or if I'm putting too much, as the case may be!

       I know, the last chapter was kind of a let down, at least for me, so, I hope this ones better!! I think I'm gonna go back and spruce up last chappie, I'll let you know when I do!

       On with the ƒic!!

*denotes thoughts*   *I'm thinking about you…hehe* ^___~

*    *    *

       The day was spent quickly, with Bra flirting tenaciously, causing Goten to blush more often than he'd like. He wasn't sure if he should even attempt pursuing her, it just felt so _weird_. As a girl, she had been like his kid sister, always over at his house, usually sparring with Pan. Videl had always had a soft spot for the girl, probably due to the fact that she too had grown up without a mother. 

       Goten felt his hand brush Bra's hip as she searched through a rack of clothes, and she glanced at him in shock. She feigned surprise, but only succeeded in looking like, "Oops, how'd that happen?" So she was playing with him, huh? He shrugged nonchalantly and she went back to looking through the rack of men's sweatpants. Having found a pair that would fit Vegeta she held them up, and was about to ask his opinion when he blurred behind her and pressed his front against her back.

*   *   *

     "It's not nice to toy with people's emotions." Goten whispered, his lips lightly brushing Bra's ear, and she managed to shiver and blush at the same time. She made an attempt at ignoring the warmth spreading from his form to hers, but failed miserably.

       "But, what if I shared those emotions?"She asked quietly, trying to think of anything but his close proximity.

       "Do you?" Goten answered her question with his own, and Bra closed her eyes and swallowed.

       "I…I...don't know, yet. Maybe." She pushed away from him and searched another clothing rack without really seeing it. Bra found herself wishing that Goten was still standing close to her, his warm breath on her neck—*No!Get a hold of yourself Bra! He might as well be your biological brother. He probably just blushed cause he thought it was gross I was flirting with him!* She felt angry with herself all of a sudden, despising the myriad emotions whirling through her mind.

       The lean girl randomly grabbed three more pairs of pants before walking over to the service counter and slamming her few items onto the light wood. Bra pulled out her credit card and pretended not to notice the wide eyed clerk, who was staring at the new formed crack in the counter. The young man gave her a sickly smile and assured her that there was no fee. He clipped off the tags nervously, and wished her a 'Good afternoon'. Bra left the store snarling wordlessly at the man's cowardice.

       Having completed their shopping expedition, the pair of demi-saiyajins headed for the car.       

       Silence engulfed the drive home.

*   *   *   

       Her head spun wildly as she took in her surroundings, trying to comprehend her location. Every image taken in by her blue eyes was forgotten as soon as she turned her head to focus on something different. 

       Yellow clouds. A long winding road. A lavender-haired man standing to her right. Yellow clouds. Lavender-hair. Road.

       A migraine formed in her brain, and she groaned softly in pain. If she could only remember…anything. She quickly grew frustrated, but just as soon forgot her reason for frustration. 

       Short blue creature with whiskers, right ahead of her. She took a step toward it, but forgot what the rest of the scenery was like. Curiosity got the better of her, and she resumed glancing around frantically.

       Ten minutes passed with the woman and the man next to her staring about, like a pair of children at an amusement park, trying to see everything at once.

       Memories slammed back into place with such force that the woman sat down hard, almost fainting. Bulma, yeah, that was her name. Chikyuu, her parents, Goku, Yamcha, Vegeta, Namek, her son standing next to her, though there was something odd about that. Bra, the car wreck…

       Oh Kami, this must be Ano-yo.

       "Yes, welcome to Ano-yo, Bulma-san, Trunks." Not realizing she had spoken aloud, Bulma looked the blue creature over. It was rather fat, with antennae, whiskers, and sunglasses. His voice was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. She risked a look at Trunks, who was staring at her. 

       "Kaasan, you look…younger. A lot younger. You look like you're about eighteen or twenty, somewhere around there." Trunks continued staring for a few moments before cautiously looking around.

       "You, too. You've grown up, and I've gotten younger." Her headache continued to pound away at her skull, and she put a hand to her head.

       "Everyone here exists at their prime, at least those allowed to keep their bodies. Oh, and that headache will wear off soon." The stranger explained.

       "Good."

       "Good."

       Bulma looked at Trunks again, literally feeling his pain. She leaned against his arm and closed her eyes, massaged her temples with slender fingers.

       "Okay, that was really weird, the whole memory loss thing. Mind explaining?" She opened azure eyes to look at the…thing…standing a few feet away.

       "It was designed for people with near death experiences, or ones who are only dead for a few moments, so they won't remember what it's like here. I am King Kai. I'm here to escort you to the Grand Kai's planet. It's usually only fighters that go to his planet, Bulma-san, but I suspect you'll want to stay with Trunks." Ah, so this was King Kai, no wonder his voice was so familiar. Usually a disembodied friend, giving advice or information from empty air. 

       She nodded slightly. Only fighters, huh? No wonder Son-kun had decided to stay, after Cell. Vegeta would have been on cloud nine. She chuckled softly, trying to imagine her mate, in a flowing white robe, sitting on a fluffy white cloud, plucking a teeny golden harp. Right before he he tore off the robe, refusing to wear a 'dress' and snapped the harp in half, declaring it a 'loud human noise maker'. The fluffy white cloud turned black, and little cartoony lightning bolts flashed out of it.

       She sobered at the thought of Vegeta, wondering how he was dealing with her death. Poor Bra, growing up without her 'Kaachan'. Self-hate welled within her, and tears gathered in her eyes as she thought of all the pain she must have caused her loved ones. She gave a small sob, and turned to wrap her arms around Trunks' broad chest.

       He gave her a worried look, then rubbed her back soothingly. She only wept harder.

       "I-I'm sor-ry Trunks," she choked out, "You had your wh-whole life to look f-forward to, and I robbed you of it."

       "No you didn't! It wasn't your fault 'Kaachan." Trunks told her sternly. "That stupid truck driver was wasted, and _you_ had nothing to do with it."

       "And now Vegeta and Bra are on their own. Daddy's too old to take care of Capsule Corp., and Bra is too young…Oh, Bra." She burst into tears again, and Trunks tried his best to calm her, with little effect. 

       King Kai stood in silence, unsure of what to say, if anything. He rarely saw a woman here who was allowed to keep her body after death. And those few female fighters that were here, were too tough to burst into tears upon death. In short, he had _no_ experience with crying women. 

       Maybe discussing the only common ground they had would help…

       "How is Goku?" He asked quietly, wishing that Bulma would quit crying, it was starting to upset him.

       She perked up somewhat, and her crying slowed. "He's fine, I guess. He's got two handsome sons, and he spars with Vegeta a lot. Vegeta…" Her eyes took on a faraway look, before they started tearing up again. She felt like something was, different. More like…broken. As though a part of her soul had been snapped off. She just felt, empty.

       Trunks stood, pulling his still-sobbing mother to her feet. Bulma stood on her own for a moment before collapsing against the blue-eyed man. He sighed, picking her up.

       "Are we supposed to just walk?" Trunks asked King Kai.

       "Yep, if you want to fly that's fine, but I'm not very fast." He silently hoped that the boy would agree to walk. He did not care to be held alongside a woman who had saline leaking from her eyeballs. No such luck.

       "Before we go I need you to hold her for a minute. I'm not used to being this size and I get the feeling that I'm gonna have to balance differently." He sat Bulma back on the ground at King Kai's feet, and leaned her up against him. He seemed a little unsteady, but decided to ignore it.

       Trunks took a few wobbly steps before falling flat on his face. King Kai stifled a chuckle, but his mouth dropped open in shock when he saw the cause of the demi-saiyajin's instability.

*   *   *

   Sorry it took so damn long to post this chapter, the Goten and Bra bit gave me fits, every sentence was a struggle. I said it once, and I'll say it again…**"I CAN'T WRITE ROMANCE."** I've read bajillions of romance fics, but I fail horribly at writing get-togethers. So, you probably won't see too much of that here. I can only write romantic stuff about people who are _already_ together.

    If anybody knows how to make italicized and bold or underlined print show up once I post the chapters, please tell me!!!! It's so hard to write stuff without proper emphasis on certain words. And I hate using capitals instead of italics. 

    I'm gonna start an update list, so whoever wants to be informed when I update, lemme know at dbzfan@cox.net

I BEG YOU, PLEASE REVIEEEEWWWW!!!! I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER!! Reviews really keep me motivated in my writing, and it is essential to my already inflamed ego!! ^_~  I love reviews!

  Thanks a bunch to lil' Chichi and Rae George! Bless you two for reviewing last chapter, even though it sucked!! And special thanks to everyone who has reviewed my crazy DBZ rambling!!!  xoxoxo!! 


	4. TCtF Chapter 4

        Hopefully for a few days here I can upload chapters pretty often…How was last chapter??  I'm still VERY unhappy with the part about Goten and Bra.  Things are just moving too fast for my taste, but this isn't a G/B get together, so oh well. This chapter got up pretty fast since I typed it up for the most part last week, I just needed to revise it…alot. 

        Please review!!!! Pretty please with cherries on top!! I'll love you forever!!

AN: anything between these  is a flashback 

Here are the ages of people in this fic… I know they're not all correct, but this is AU…

Bra/Pan—18

Trunks(future and present)—30 (whoa! over the hill! ^__^)

Goten—29(duh)

Somebody please tell me how to do italics and bold print!! PLEEEAAAAASE!!!

***

       "Trunks! Wow, it's great to see you again after so long! Everything's okay at home, right?" Gohan, a much older Gohan than Trunks recalled, answered the door.

       "Uh, yeah, everything's fine. What about here? Anything exciting happen while I was gone?" A shadow seemed to flicker across Gohan's face, pain showed briefly in his dark eyes, and Trunks frowned slightly.

       "A lot has happened." Gohan stated simply. His smile returned, and he shooed Trunks back outside. "Now you go straight to see your family." His smile faltered momentarily, making Trunks feel very suspicious.

       "Okay, maybe I'll come by tomorrow and hang out awhile. I mean, if it's alright with you." Trunks looked down sheepishly, light pink pooling across his cheeks.

       "Sure, that'd be great. Oh, and don't bother going to CC; your 'Tousan is staying on some island in the South Sea. He'll explain when you get there."

       "Okay... Would you mind telling me what all this is about?" His father wasn't even living at CC anymore? Had Vegeta left Bulma and his alternate self? He knew his father could be a jerk, but, Trunks never would have imagined the Saiyan would _leave_. 

       "Yes actually, I would. This is something only he should explain." Gohan gave him a little push, and Trunks leapt skyward, a puzzled frown plastered across his face.

       Trunks felt around for Vegeta's ki, but decided he would go on to Capsule Corp. despite Gohan's urgings. If Vegeta was being stupid enough to not even _live_ at CC, then Trunks wasn't all that interested in seeing him just yet.

***

       Goten wished that Bra would say something, anything. He couldn't think of a good thing to say, so he wisely kept his trap shut. 

       The traffic was really bad, and it took the pair an hour to get halfway to CC.. No cars were moving, and a few people had even gotten out of their vehicles, trying to see what the holdup was.  Goten heaved a sigh and turned the air car off. No use in wasting precious energy.

       Bra looked over at him, and their eyes met. They sat like that for a few moments, black eyes lost in blue, and blue in black. Goten took her small hand in his, then leaned back in his seat to stare at the sky. Bra unbuckled and curled up against his chest, and he wrapped his arms about her waist protectively. She sighed contentedly, and Goten's arms tightened around her. 

       He watched as people began scrambling back to their cars and switching the motors back on. Goten kissed the top of Bra's head, and she withdrew to her side of the car. 

***

       As traffic started moving again, they passed the cause of the backup, off to the side of the highway. 

       A small yellow car was maimed on the driver side, where emergency workers struggled to remove the body of the driver. Family members and friends stood off to the side, some weeping loudly.

       A paramedic removed the small girl from the car, and turned to look at the childs father. 

       The black-haired man was on his hands and knees, unable to walk all the way to the crushed vehicle. His entire body quivered with rage, and tears streamed down his face as he pounded the asphalt with closed fists, cursing loudly.

       Bra bowed her head, a lump coming to her throat. She only vaguely recalled her mother, but the few memories she had were good ones. She remembered Trunks, too. Or 'Niichan' as she had called him. Their deaths didn't cause her as much sadness as seeing her fathers pain did.

       Goten gave her a concerned look. He rested his hand on the back of her neck, massaging softly. She leaned against his side, and he stroked her short blue hair comfortingly.

***

        They arrived at Capsule Corp. presently, and walked up to the front door.

       "I'd better get home, you know how Okaasan is when I'm late for dinner." Goten said, while Bra punched in an exceedingly long code to open the door. She turned to face him, a dazzling smile on her face, and Goten felt his insides turn to mush. Kami but she was gorgeous…

       "Goten, your stomach, and not your mother would be the one upset if you were late for dinner." She announced playfully, poking him in the stomach. "And when I'm late, I bet 'Touchan is worse than your mom by far. She doesn't spar with you, and if she did you'd at least have a good chance of winning." He stood there silently, hopelessly lost in her eyes. She threw her arms around his neck, and he gasped softly, wrapping his arms around her waist almost joyously. Bra laid her face against his chest, and he rested his chin on the top of her head. 

       His hand stroked her back absently, and she shuddered into his chest. She raked her fingers through the hair on the back of his head, tickling his neck slightly.

       A knuckle under her chin tipped her head back, and he brushed her lips softly with his own. She didn't pull away, so he kissed her again, more deeply this time, and she was forced to cling to his neck for support when her legs gave out.

       "Ahem."

       A polite cough was heard, and the couple seperated enough to look at the lavender-haired intruder. They stared at him in shock, but Goten recovered quickly.

       "Trunks-kun?"

***

       Confusion ruled in Trunks mind, as he stared in disbelief at the couple before him. A pair of clones, one of Son Goku, and the other of his mother. At least they looked like clones.

       "Hai, sort of. Who are you two? You weren't here last time I came." He stated calmly.

       The girl still looked like she was in shock, and stared at him as though she was looking at a ghost.

       "Niichan." She breathed finally. Trunks looked at her sharply. He had a _sister_ in this timeline?? They both stared at him like he had just risen from the dead, and Trunks began to feel a little self-conscious.

       "Who are you?" He questioned, a little more forcefully this time. Were they just scared he would tattle on them for kissing?

       The boy pulled away from his girlfriend and moved to stand in front of Trunks.

       "You're not _our_ Trunks, are you?" He asked, finally putting two and two together. "If you were, I know you would know us."

       "No, I'm from a different timeline, maybe your parents told you about me."

       "Hai, Touchan mentioned you a few times," the girl said, having regained her composure, "He talked about how you trained together in the room at Kami's lookout."

       "Yep, that's me. He let's you call him _touchan_??" Trunks asked incredulously. "Are you gonna tell me your names?? You were both obviously born after I came last."

       "Gomen, I'm Bra Briefs."

       "Son Goten."

       "Ah. You must be Gohan-san's little brother, ne?" 

       "Yeah." Goten replied, flashing Goku's carefree grin.

       "Why don't we go inside?" Bra asked, leading the way to the living room. 

       "I'm afraid I've got a lot of questions for you, since things seem to have changed a bit." Trunks admitted after they got settled, feeling a little out of place.

       "I don't mind answering questions, if you'll promise not to tell Touchan what you saw." Bra replied, still looking somewhat awestruck. "I'd rather be the one to tell him, since he's gonna kick my ass about it in the end." She grinned wickedly then, causing Trunks to shudder. She wasn't _always_ a mirror of her mother.

       "Sure, your secret's safe with me. Why doesn't Otousan live here?" Trunks asked, his anger evident.

       "I don't live here either," Bra stated, "I think the memories were too much for him. We moved about a month after Kaasan and Niichan died."

       "NANI?!?!? They _died_?? How long ago?" How had they died? Trunks felt a sudden pang of guilt over immediately assuming his father was just being an arrogant asshole.

       "I was only three, so…fifteen years ago?" Bra looked at Goten, who nodded agreement.

       "I'm sorry. It must have been hard having only Otousan raise you."

       "Don't feel sorry for me Trunks, I hardly remember kaasan and niichan. Sometimes, I could tell by the way he looked at me that he was remembering kaasan. And if I asked anything about the two of them he would be depressed for the rest of the week. After a while, I quit asking, because I knew it was hard for him." Trunks continued to look dumbfounded, so Goten continued in Bra's stead.

       "Trunks, me being a bit older than Bra, I remember what Vegeta-san was like before. He's rather affectionate with Bra, and he doesn't mind my Tousan as much as he used to. Not to say that he's downright friendly with him, but, they spar a lot." Goten grinned.

       "I see. How did they die?" Trunks continued, trying not to let on how shocked he was. Vegeta, affectionate? Those two words didn't belong in the same _paragraph_ together!

       "All of us except Touchan were in a really bad car wreck, I was in the back in my carseat. They died on impact." Bra barely batted an eye, obviously having given this testimony _many_ times. She glanced at the clock on the wall, and was immediately thrust into a flurry of activity.

       "Aaah! 7 o' clock!! Touchan's gonna kill me!" Bra jumped up and rushed out of the room and into the kitchen too fast for the human eye to follow. Having gathered up any food she wanted to take home, the blue-haired girl returned to the living room.

       "Bye Goten!" Bra cried. "Could you call Capsule Corp. in the morning and tell them I won't be coming in? Thanks!" She gave Goten a quick peck on the lips before dragging Trunks out the door.

       After flying for a while Bra began talking again.

       "Okay, Trunks when we get home, you stay back until I tell Touchan that you're here. I don't want him to have a heart attack thinking you're…someone else. He wouldn't take it as well as Goten and I did."

       "Of course, but I think he already knows I'm here." Trunks was right, and Bra knew it. They could both feel their father's ki coming towards them.

       "Either he's happy to see you, or he's pissed that I'm late. I'm afraid it's more likely that he's mad at me. Maybe I'll get a good spar out of him." She smirked coldly, the wind whipping her short-cropped hair. Trunks shivered slightly, disturbed into silence by his sister's Vegeta-esque moment.

       The figure ahead drew closer, and Trunks felt a little uneasy. Would his presence upset Vegeta? How different was he? They stopped in front of their father, who was standing in the air with his arms crossed and the usual scowl on his face. Trunks could tell there was something missing about Vegeta. Something… _different_, but he couldn't place the feeling.

***

       Oooh…Is Vegeta gonna freak?  O_o

       I'm not gonna be able to keep up with the chapter a day pace any longer…  L Wish I could, but I won't have any pc time tomorrow. BUMMER!

       Please review! I need to know if people actually enjoy my plot, writing style, good grammar and spelling…

       By the way, how did I do in the romance department?? I still think it REALLY sucked…but it's better than what I originally had!   Tell me how I'm doing!!

       Join my update list! Send me a note at  dbzfan@cox.net   just put 'update list' in the subject line, and I'll let you know when put more chappies up!  (^_-_^)

Ooops! I forgot to put what was up with Trunks-kun(present, you know, the dead one!) in this chapter! -_-'

Gomen-nasai, minna!


	5. TCtF Chapter 5

                                               *               *               *

       Trunks fidgeted slightly as Vegeta simply stared at the two of them.

       "You're late" he growled, focusing his attention on Bra. The girl shrugged insolently, "Goten took me shopping, and when we got home, Trunks showed up. So, after Goten and I had a collective heart attack, we, caught him up on what's been going on since Cell. Though we're nowhere near done.  I did tell him the important stuff though." Bra gave him a meaningful look, and he looked away. 

        Trunks stood quietly, not sure what to say. His original mission had been turned on it's head by the turn of events in this time. Judging by what Bra had said, Vegeta would probably not take too kindly to his mother hanging around. Or would he? Trunks needed to know more about what was going on before he drew any conlusions.

       "Oi. Oi! Boy, are you listening?" Vegeta's angry shouts quickly drew Trunks out of his reverie, and he fully returned to reality when his father's open hand made contact with the back of his head.

       "What? Don't just hit me for no reason!"Trunks snapped, disgruntled and angry.

       "I'll hit you when I damn well feel like it. I was _saying_," Vegeta continued, severely annoyed at having to reapeat himself, "that I _assume_ you intend on staying with us." Trunks wondered silently how he could tell his father that he would prefer to stay in a hotel with his mother, without actually acknowledging her presence. 

       "Eto…I don't want to inconvenience anyone, so I think I'll just stay at Capsule Corp., if that's alright." He silently prayed that they would let him stay there, not really wanting to be stuck alone with Vegeta while Bra was in the city. His past experiences of being with his father for long periods of time usually ended with Trunks a bloodied mass on the floor, cursing whoever invented sparring.

       "What's the matter boy? Afraid of sparring with me? I'm not surprised, you've obviously neglected your training." Vegeta smirked arrogantly when Trunks began to fidget nervously, plainly wishing he was anywhere else. "We could have a quick spar right now." He shifted his weight into a fighting stance.

       "Now just a minute," Bra protested, "I get to spar with you at 7, no matter who's here. You even tell Kakarotto to go home when it's my turn." She frowned petulantly, crossing her arms over her chest. Trunks stared at her, shocked. She was almost throwing a tantrum. And she actually _wanted_ to spar with Vegeta??

       "Bra, I'll spar with you after dinner, I've waited long enough to be fed as it is."

       "I don't feel like making dinner tonight, it's been a long day. I'm just going to go to bed." She powered up and flew in the direction Vegeta had come from. Trunks watched as the Saiyajin flew after his daughter, growling softly. 

       He waited a moment before following his 'family'. Trunks caught up fairly quickly, unable to quell his curiosity, and sat back to watch the fireworks that were sure to follow.

       Vegeta was flying closely behind the azure-haired girl. With a movement too fast for Trunks to detect, Bra flipped over and kicked towards her father's side, but was blocked, and she growled quietly.

       Trunks watched as they fought for another half hour. He was generally amazed at how easily the girl had manipulated him into getting exactly what she wanted; a good spar. No bones were broken, no blood was drawn, and not a single bead of sweat appeared on either combatant. They continued furiously, and Trunks began to wonder if this was more quality daddy/daughter time than actual training. Although by all appearances Bra was no slacker fighter like himself. If she was a super-saiyajin, she had a good chance of being stronger than her older brother. He'd have to look into that later.

       There was a pause in the action, as each fighter pulled back to take a quick breather, never breaking eye contact. Two Saiyajin stomachs growled simultaneously, and their owners took off side by side towards home. Trunks was hard pressed to catch up, making sure they didn't get out of sight.

       Another shock came to his system when Vegeta tousled Bra's hair, and she replied by tugging on a spiked lock of her father's hair. Trunks, not wanting to intrude, called out his intention of returning to Capsule Corp. for dinner. Bra nodded in acknowledgement, but didn't slow down.

       Trunks turned around quickly, heading for Satan city, as Bra had called it. He landed outside the metropolis and walked to the hotel where Bulma was staying. 

***

       After ordering a salad Bulma Briefs leaned back in her chair, contemplating her day. She had walked all over the large city, delighting in all the streets, shops, and entire neighborhoods that simply didn't exist back home. She had walked past a cemetary that stretched for endless miles in her world, and here was significantly smaller. Trunks sat down in the chair across from her, startling the woman out of her reverie.

       He had a slightly shocked, somewhat ill expression on his face that disturbed Bulma no end.

       "Are you alright?" She asked worriedly, placing a small hand on his forehead.

       "Hai, I'm fine," he replied, and tried to clear the strange look off of his face with little success, "I saw Gohan, he looks…funny. He was wearing a suit, and glasses."

       "Sunglasses?"

       "No, real glasses. And he's got a little brother who's my age. I didn't get time to talk to Gohan much though, he made me go home and see Otousan." He frowned a little, and Bulma wondered if he had had a bad experience. He took a deep breath before continuing.

       "I met Bra."

       Silence.

       "Who?" 

       "She would have been your daughter." A look of joy on her face was quickly replaced with sadness, and Trunks regretted his harsh choice of words. 

       "She's running CC now." He continued. "I hope you get a chance to meet her. Unfortunately, bad news accompanies the good today." She seemed to be mentally bracing herself, expecting the worst.

       "The Bulma and Trunks in this timeline died, fifteen years ago. They were in a really bad car accident, and only Bra survived."

       "Who raised Bra then? Mom and Dad?" Bulma asked faintly, trying to push away the overwhelming sadness. She had actually started to believe that they would be able to modify the time machine, to fix their lives, and that hope had just been dashed upon the rocks.

       "Otousan did. They're living on an island in the South Sea. Tomorrow I'm going to go to the Son household, and visit for a while." 

       "Hai." She still felt faint, and tired. "I'll just look around the city some more."

       Bulma wished she could just lay down and sleep, maybe for a week. Yeah, that'd be nice… Trunks crossed to the other side of the table, and carried his mother to her room. She kissed him on the cheek and thanked him, then collapsed into bed.

***

       _'Touchan, I can't imagine a warrior who doesn't like sparring._ Bra thought, still puzzled by Trunks' reaction to her father's offer.

       _No need to imagine, you just met one. I don't believe he's trained a day since he left. Lazy brat. Just like his mother._

       _Are you implying that 'Kaasan was lazy?_

       _Only when it came to exercise. But when it came to her company, she would work herself to death._ He smirked, recalling his ingenious ways of getting her to quit working and go to sleep. Or at least go to bed. (AN: hehe)

       _What's for dinner?_ He asked gruffly. Thankfully, Bra was a much better cook than her mother had been, having learned from her grandmother and Kakarotto's mate. When she was younger she would go back to the city on weekends and stay at Capsule Corp. or the Son house. After being with Bulma's mother all weekend she would come home burned out on talking and stay silent for days. He didn't care, they sometimes went weeks without feeling the need to speak to one another.

       _I dunno…I'm kind of in a hunting mood, you?_ He sniffed the air tentatively. Ah, there it was, she was in heat, and even though there were no (eligible) males present, she still wanted to hunt. Bulma had driven him crazy, being fertile once a month, damn humans. Saiyajin women were in heat only twice a year. Bra, being a mixture of the two, usually went through her fertile time about a half dozen times in one year.

       _Whatever._

       "I wish Goten was here." She muttered under her breath. Vegeta stopped midair to stare at his daughter, who continued flying until she noticed him. 

       "What's wrong?" She asked innocently, blinking wide blue eyes at him.

       "Why do you want him here _now_? You'll see him tomorrow." Bra stared at him.

       "I don't know, and, no I won't see him tomorrow. I was planning on spending time with Trunks." 

       "Bra, did you ever wonder _why_ you always go hunting right before your cycle?" He'd always assumed that--being a female--she knew what was going on. He assumed wrong.

       "Not really. Why?"

       "Because you're in heat, dammit! And although there was never a male around for you to mate with, your body told you to go hunt. Usually a couple will hunt right before mating." Exasperated with her naivety and fearing the worst from her wish to see Kakarotto's brat, he took off again, silently fuming. Bra gasped when she noticed his direction. Straight towards Kakarotto's house.

***

       Oooh… I'm evil!! My very first cliffhanger!! Hee hee… This developed out of thin air, not at all what I was planning for this chapter! Oh well, we'll see where it takes us. 

       This one was nothing but fun, I thouroughly enjoyed writing it. 

       I'll update a.s.a.p.. Which might not be horribly soon, since my parents will be home tomorrow. They seem to think:  me+pc=**WASTE OF TIME**!  :'(

    LOTS OF REVIEWS PLEASE!!! I'M BEGGING YOU!!!!!!!


	6. TCtF Chapter 6

       Well, last chapter went well, but it left me a little far from where I was originally going with chap. 5

       So…I'll see what I can do!

       Onwards and upwards!

(~*~)

       The phone rang several times before a feminine voice answered.

       "Moshi moshi?"

       "Eto, is this the Son household?"

       "Hai, it is. Can I help you?"

       "Yes, may I talk to Gohan-san?"

       "Gomen, he's still at work."

       "Oh, ok. Is Goten there?"

       "Nope. Would you like to talk to Goku-san?"

       Trunks head spun for a moment, and his mouth went dry. Goku…alive? Again? How'd that happen?

       "Hello?"

       "Goku??" He croaked finally.

       "Yeah, he's here, if you'd like to speak to him."

       "Um, hai, doumo."

       "Chotto matte kudasai. (Please wait a minute.)" Her voice grew distant as she talked to someone else in the room. "Pan, tell your Ojiisan to pick up the phone."

       "Ok, who is it?" Another female voice, younger-sounding than the woman on the phone with him, but similar. A pretty voice. His head went for another spin when her words sunk in. Tell your _Ojiisan_. 

       "The hottest guy on Chikyuu. I don't know Pan! Go tell your Grandpa!" The woman returned to the phone.

       "Gomen, ne. She's a little nosy sometimes. I can't help being curious, also. Who am I talking to?"

       "Um, it's kind of a long story. Did you watch the Cell games?"

       A pause. "Yes."

       "I was there, um, long purple hair. You probably don't remember, it was a long time ago."

       "Oh yeah. Once I got to know the Z senshi, I always wondered why you were never around after Cell. Oh, here's Goku, it was nice talking to you." The phone was dropped on the floor, and generally passed around before Goku answered, somewhat out of breath.

       "Hello?"

       "Goku-san! It's good to hear you again. It's Trunks."

       "I assume you mean the one from the future?"

       "Yeah. I talked to Gohan briefly today, and I was planning on visiting you guys tomorrow. But, uh, I have a little free time tonight and I was wondering if I could come by now. Is that okay?"

       "Sure! You can have dinner with us! See you in a few minutes?"  
       "Yeah, thanks."

(~*~)

       After leaving a note for Trunks, Bulma headed out for the store, hoping to pick up some of her favorite snacks.  It was so nice to see the _crowded_ streets, full of people living their lives. She couldn't help the joy that returned to her being at seeing what her son and her invention had made possible.

       She wandered around for a few minutes, checking out the meat section. A short woman with black hair was arguing heatedly over the quality of a cut of meat the clerk had given her. Except that the cut of meat was more like a side of beef. Bulma moved to stand behind the woman. She'd always loved listening to arguments, the wittiness and creative insults. The woman turned around just as Bulma reached her, obviously exasperated with the man.

       Chi-Chi stared at her a moment before pouncing on her in a ferocious hug. The Chi-Chi that Bulma knew had died a few months prior, after she had simply lost her will to live. Without her husband, son, and father(AN: Eww, that sounded West Virginia-ish!), she had given up. They both started crying, sort-of long lost friends, reunited.

       "Gohan-chan said that Trunks came over this morning, I suppose you're his mother, ne?" Chi-Chi managed to choke out, still crying.

       "Hai, but it's still good to see you. And so healthy and young!" 

       "Did I look that bad where you're from?"

       "Yeah, you're dead. Just kind of, gave up after your dad died."

       Chi-Chi hugged her harder and then let go, a smile creasing tear-stained cheeks.

       "Why don't you come for dinner? I've got a houseful now, so I'm sure there'll be plenty for you."

       "Sure. A houseful, eh?"

(~*~)

       Pan stared at her grandfathers retreating back, as he returned outside to finish sparring with her father. She turned to her mother, who had returned to the book she had been reading before the phone rang.

       "So Kaasan, who was it?" She prodded, seating herself next to Videl on the couch.

       Videl sighed at the interruption, "See that picture on the mantle? The kid with purple hair, looks like Vegeta." She buried her nose in the pages again, determined to finish before dinner.

       Pan stood up and walked over to the dark wood mantle. A large picture depicting a large group of mostly men was nestled in a heavy-handed metal frame. She scanned the faces quickly, as she had done so many times, and found the familiar face of the unknown (to her at least) young man. 

       "Oh, Kami." She breathed. "Kaasan, he _is_ the hottest guy on Chikyuu! I guess I never really looked closely at this photo before. He's coming tonight?" Videl sighed loudly, laying her book down on her lap.

       "Yes he's coming tonight. Now _please_ let me read!" She pleaded, eyes almost begging. "You go primp, or something…" She lay down on the couch, the fantasy book hovering a few inches from her nose.

       The black-haired girl shook her head bemusedly before climbing the stairs to her room.

(~*~)

       "Touchan, stop! Please! We haven't even done anything!" Bra's pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears, or at least didn't affect the Saiyajin Prince.

       "And I am going to ensure that you don't _do_ anything in the future, either." She continued to tug on his arm ineffectually. So she was just along for the ride.

       He wouldn't dare hurt Goten, would he? After all, they really _hadn't_ done wrong, a kiss here, a hug there, certainly less than her parents were guilty of. She could never quite be sure how Vegeta would react to other people. Bra had always wondered how much he would freak out when she became, _romantically interested,_ in a man.

       _Goten, if I were you, I would lower my ki to a fatal low and run for my life._ She thought glumly.

       _Why?_ She blinked, the unfamiliar thought-voice registering on her brain. What the hell…

       _Bra? What's going on?_ Had he heard her? Was it actually Goten, or her mind playing tricks? Ah, what the hell, she had nothing to lose…

       _Um, Goten? My dad is heading for you, and he's, eto, less than pleased…_ To put it mildly…

       _You told him already??_

       _Well, not really. I let something slip, and he figured out the rest._

       _What'd you say?_ He wondered, curious.

       _Um, he asked what I was making for dinner, and I said I wanted to go hunting._

       _Okaaay, that's it?_

       _No, then he sniffed the air a little, and I accidentally mumbled something like, 'Gee, sure would be nice if Goten was here.' He said that I was…_ Oh Kami, this was hard. Oh well, first step toward a little more intimacy, right?

       _He said you were…?_ Here we go…

       _He said I'm in heat. And, and, usually couples hunt right before they mate, and, even though there weren't any guys around, I still wanted to hunt._ She blushed fiercely, hoping that just once he would be too dim to figure out that she instinctively wanted to…mate…with him.

       _Wow, Bra really feels that strongly for me? YES! This is so awesome! _Bra blushed even redder, if that was possible. That last thought was obviously not meant for her to hear, he would definitely have to learn a little control. Vegeta had taught her to control her telepathic abilities at a young age, but Goten had never learned. 

       Bra realized Vegeta was staring at her red face, and quickly formed a plan in her brilliant mind to pay back Goten for letting his thoughts wander. She put on her best naïve, innocent look.

       "Touchan, Goten wants to know why we can hear each others thoughts, without using telepathy or anything." Vegeta stopped midair, looking positively ill. His face pulled down into a deep scowl, anger plain on his face.

       "Damn Kakarotto's brat!" He roared, speeding off again, with Bra struggling to keep up. "Hey wait! I wanna know too!" She cried out, but he was way too far ahead.

       She gasped when they drew near the igloo-shaped cottage, Goten's light blue car just now pulling into the drive.

       _Goten, for the love of Kami stay there! He's** really** pissed now, but I think it's better if you don't run._ She thought desperately to him. 

       _Touchan, please don't hurt him! He hasn't done anything wrong! I made the first move!_ Another desperate thought, this one to her father, an attempt at talking some sense into the older Saiyajin.

       Goten pulled to a stop, and Vegeta landed next to the gorgeous blue car. He ripped off the door and roughly dragged the younger man out by his collar. Bra landed behind her father, trying to calm him a little. If something happened to Goten…

       Abruptly Vegeta released him, but his glare said 'You better not even think of leaving.' A tense silence ensued, with Bra staring at Vegeta in cautious relief, still unsure of his intentions.

       "You said you could hear each others thoughts?" He asked resignedly.

       They nodded.

       "As I thought…" He murmured, almost too low for anyone to hear. 

       "I don't suppose you know what that means either, do you." Directed at Bra. She looked a little embarrassed, but shook her head nonetheless.

       "You've bonded. Whether you've mated or not, you are stuck with each other." He still looked intensely displeased, and the two demi-saiyajin before him just stared at each other in shock, and…happiness? 

       "But how could we have bonded already? We only started _holding hands_ today." Goten spoke up finally. 

       "So? How much time have you spent together in the last few months? In the last _ten years_? Your subconscious mind knows exactly what it wants. Damn, I was ready to kill you, too." He looked quite disappointed, and Goten shivered slightly.

       "Well, why can't you?" Stupid question. Goten knew it was idiotic the moment the words left his lips.

       Vegeta cast his eyes downward, and muttered almost inaudibly. "Because I know what it's like to lose your mate, and I just couldn't do that to my daughter."

       Bra felt her heart constrict, reminding her yet again of his great loss. She placed her arms around her father's neck, and kissed him on the cheek. He placed his hand on the small of her back, and she whispered thank you in his ear. She pulled away after a moment, knowing that prolonged displays of affection in front of Goku's home would surely lead to trouble.

       "I'm going home." He declared.

       "I'll be there shortly, I think I'm gonna hang here a bit." Bra replied. "Don't worry! I'm going to come home and hunt with you, and _not_ Goten. I'm not ready for _that_." She smirked at Goten, who blushed, hand behind his head nervously.

       "Goten I trust, but _you_ are far too sneaky for my liking." Vegeta pointed out, smirking at Bra. She punched his arm playfully, a mock scowl on her face. 

       Trunks landed just then.

       "Tousan, I really need to talk to you, quick." But Vegeta didn't hear. His jaw dropped as he watched the red convertible pull up to the house.

(~*~)

       "Chi-Chi?" Bulma murmured faintly. "That girl is Bra right? The one Vegeta just _hugged_ in _public_." Vegeta had never shown her any affection when other people were around. Never. How much would he have changed over the years, had he lived?

       She watched as Trunks landed in front of his father, obviously talking fast. Vegeta glanced over to the car when they pulled in, and their eyes met. His jaw dropped in shock. After a moment it seemed to dawn on him who she was, and he shook his head slightly, as if to clear it. He turned to glare angrily at Trunks. 

       "Were you planning on telling me? Or was my dying of heart failure your intention?" He seemed to be shaking slightly. 

       "I had about as much warning that she was here as you did. I'm sorry, I should have told you yesterday, I was just a little…dazed." Trunks looked apolegetic and…unsure. Vegeta growled something untelligible, and surprisingly, Bra growled back. If the language wasn't so harsh, she would have sounded…comforting. He shot off towards CC in a blinding flash, and Bra just looked frustrated and pained.

       Bulma sat, frozen to the seat of the car. What in Kami's name had just happened? The girl, Bra, walked over and looked her in the eye, her curiosity plain.

       "You and Trunks wanna stay at Capsule Corp.?" She asked tentatively.

       "But, he, and, gone, Trunks…" She mumbled rather incoherently, and Bra smiled.

       "Who, Touchan? He'll be fine, I know _exactly_ where he is. What do you say we all go back to CC and I'll cook dinner, and we'll all just relax. How's that sound?" Her mother nodded faintly.

       "Gomen-nasai, Chi-Chi-san, but can we take a rain check on dinner? She's tired." 

       Chi-Chi nodded, smiling gently. "How about lunch tomorrow? There won't be quite so many people hanging around then." He nodded, and picked up Bulma while Bra chatted about people he had never heard of with Chi-chi. 

       They flew home in contemplative silence.

***

Soo? How as it? Sorry it took so dern long, I got kinda caught up in the story, so long chapter, but it took a while to write. Gomen nasai! Remember, I demand that you review! Or I will find out where you live… Hehe, j/k ^__^ You'll soon learn that I'm rather DEMENTO  ;)


	7. TCtF Chapter 7

   Things are finally heating up y'all! Angst and mushy-gushiness headin' your way! Many many gratitudes to all those who have been _faithfully_ reviewing! 

       Rae, if you liked last chapters angst, you'll get your fill now!

       I upped the rating a tad, due to language. Vegeta is _fowl_! ^__~

Eheh, oh yeah! The disclaimer…It's not mine, never will be, and if I had the Dragonballs, I would wish to own Microsoft first… ^_^Sing with me! ♫"I'm in the money! I'm in the money!"♫

(~*~)I just realized, that thing looks like sailor moon, which I also don't own -_-'

       Sighing heavily, Vegeta laid his head back on the cold marble of Dr. Briefs tombstone, which he was leaning against. He stared silently at the twin markers before him, 'Bulma Briefs' and 'Trunks Briefs'.

       Damn Trunks(mirai), and damn his mother. Between the two they had scared him shitless. Trunks was nowhere near the shock to his senses that Bulma had been, but neither appearance had been all that pleasant for him.  

       He wished he could just end it. Instinctively after losing a mate, a Saiyajin will seek revenge, and then suicide. Except that there was still a person who needed him, and even she seemed to be moving on. Maybe once she was secure with Goten he could go, she would certainly understand.

       The only other question was, would he even see Bulma in Anoyo? She and Trunks had both helped save the earth, so they'd probably go to Grand Kai's planet, according to Kakarott. 

       Hmm, being killed by Kakarott might be a good way to go. Of course he would give the younger man a run for his money, but dying in battle was infinitely more honorable than killing oneself. The end result remained the same.

       If only the pain would stop, just go away, and he'd be fine. He had a very high tolerance for pain, but that dull, ever-present aching void only fillable with their now broken bond was surely killing him slowly. Too slow.

       Just to see her again, to touch her cheek, and utter the words he regretted never saying while she was living. Three simple words he had been too weak to whisper in her ear, he now said every night in the dark when he was _alone_. That damn word again, plaguing him guilessly for the last fifteen years. Along with the other three. Four words that tortured him no end. 

       He didn't move as he felt Bra approaching, he knew she would usually follow him eventually. She always showed up, trying to cheer him up. Keep him from being _too_ depressed. 

       She sat down beside him in silence. He tentatively put an arm around her shoulder and she curled up against his chest, laying her small hand on his stomach. Despite his best efforts, she had still ended up a snuggly child. When she was younger he had never had the heart to push her away when she asked for a hug. He had learned to initiate a hug once in awhile, noting the great happiness it seemed to bring her.

       Bra opened her mouth several times to speak, but she couldn't seem to find the right words, and wisely stayed silent. 

       The sun died in all its glory, a true Kodak moment. The sunset seemed so _happy_, mocking the heavy feeling in the air. Vegeta's stomach grumbled loudly, and Bra chuckled softly. She stood up, pulling her father to his feet.

        "I bet you're _really_ hungry now. Gomen, ne." 

       Bulma was napping on the couch when they got inside, and Bra let her sleep while she whipped up dinner. 

       Vegeta found Trunks in the gravity room, seemingly trying to catch up on his training. He opened the door and Trunks froze. He looked sheepishly at his father.

       "Just doing a little catch up." He smiled somewhat sheepishly. Vegeta snorted, and engaged in a short training session with Trunks.

       Ten minutes passed before Bra's bright face appeared, announcing dinner. 

       "Please tell me Bra is a better chef than Kaasan. I had to learn how to cook just to survive." Trunks questioned, as they walked through the halls toward the kitchen.

       Vegeta snorted. "She learned from Kakarott's mate and Bulma's mother. She can cook." The younger man nodded, his step hurrying slightly as they drew nearer to _food_. 

(~*~)

       Bulma stirred softly, a delicious aroma bringing her fully to her senses in moments. She took a quick glance around the living room. Not much was different, a few more pictures on the mantle, a chair on a different side of the room, stuff like that. 

       She yawned loudly, rubbing sleep out of her eyes, and staggered into the kitchen. The young woman flitting from the stove to the sink to the fridge paused a moment to give her a dazzling smile. 

       Bulma felt that same depression threatening again; what might have been. This could have been her daughter. Though, it seemed that she wouldn't have lived long enough to fully enjoy her lttle girl. She pushed the all-too-familiar feeling away; the 'what if's could get the best of you without much effort.

       "Anything I can do to help?" She asked quietly, and Bra gave her a dumb-founded look. 

       "Um, yeah. I'm not used to anyone else helping me cook but, I guess you can put these on the table." She pointed to four large bowls filled with fried rice sitting on the nearby countertop. 

       Bulma nodded, and carried two bowls over to the oak table. Bra brought the remaining two, and yelled loudly for the 'boys' to get down there quick, before she ate it all.

       Vegeta and Trunks simply appeared at their places, utensils in hand. Bulma rolled her eyes at her son, and cast a tentative glance at Vegeta, who was chowing down. It just felt so _weird_ to be near him again. And yet, it wasn't _him_. She had never been able to get involved with another man, it just didn't feel right. Like Vegeta was the only who could take away that empty, broken feeling. But despite his close proximity, she didn't feel any different. She figured that somehow only _her_ Vegeta could fill that need. Maybe she could see him in the Ano-yo in her timeline, after she passed. To be together again…

       Both Trunks and Bulma complimented Bra on her cooking abilities. She gloated, pretending to be very arrogant about her gourmet chef talents. Vegeta simply commented on how incredibly late the meal was. A small argument ensued, and after all the food was devoured, Bra punched his arm playfully. Bulma tried to smother a chuckle when he landed on the floor on his rear. Bra smirked triumphantly and cleared the dishes. 

       "I'm going to bed." Vegeta announced gruffly, after he removed himself from the linoleum. He tousled Bra's hair, his expression almost tender, and she pulled on a black lock in return. After the man of the house retreated upstairs, Bulma and Trunks exchanged a creeped out look.

       When the dishes were done, Bulma trudged upstairs, dead tired. She found the guest room where Trunks had put her things earlier, and collapsed onto the bed in a heap.

(~*~)

       Vegeta stood in the shower, hot water washing over his muscular form. He hated having to sleep in their bedroom again, it _still_ smelled like Bulma. As did the whole house. Trunks scent hung about in the gravity room, but was mostly gone by now.  

       The water was steaming hot, but he was still cold inside. Deciding that no number of hot showers would warm him up, he stepped from the hot spray and dried off with a large black towel.(AN: Sorry, I've never seen a black towel, it'd probably be kinda cool. J) 

       He put on a pair of boxers and crawled under the covers. He had to sleep with the heavy comforter on, causing him to shuffle around to get comfortable. Generally unused to sleeping with that extra weight on top of him, Vegeta found it a bit hard to sleep. The days events finally caught up with him, and he drifted into a heavy slumber.

(~*~)

       "So, you have twenty four hours. No exceptions, use them wisely." 

       "We really appreciate this Baba. See you tomorrow." Bulma smiled at the old witch. Baba took off, quickly disappearing into the dark, star-encrusted sky.

       "You ready?" Bulma asked of the young man next to her. Trunks nodded, tail twitching with anticipation. 

       They proceeded to the door, and Bulma prayed they hadn't changed any codes around the house. The door slid open silently, and no alarms were sounded. The two crept upstairs, heading for Bra's room first.

       Bulma was glad for the soft glow that her halo gave off, she had always had a hard time navigating the dark house. Trunks pointed to the room he felt Bra's ki in, and they opened the door as softly as possible.

       Sitting gently on the edge of the bed, she brushed her daughter's hair away from her forehead. 

       "Bra-chan." She murmured quietly, and the girl's eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times and sat up, quickly taking in Trunks in the doorway, and her mother on the bed.

       "Kaachan!" She whispered, hugging Bulma fiercely. "Oh, Touchan will be so happy! You need to go see him first." She pulled away, pushing her mother to her feet. 

       Bulma smiled at Bra, assuring her that they would spend some time together in the morning. Trunks stayed with Bra, and Bulma departed for her bedroom.

       She hoped Vegeta was asleep, she loved being able to wake him up. He was almost always awake when she woke up. 

       Presently she found herself staring at the door, trying her damnedest to open it silently. She crept into the room.

       He was laying on his stomach, head pillowed on his forearms. His hair was shorter, making him look even more gorgeous.(AN: hair short like in GT, because his hair is like really awesome short J)

       She sat next to him on the bed as softly as possible, and he murmered softly in his sleep. She reached out to caress his face.

       "Vege-chan, okite.(Wake up.)"

***

       Yep, end chapter seven. I am infinitely EVIL!!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!! 

       I can't wait to write next chapter, but I'm gonna be gone this weekend..  :'(  So, I'll try to write _and_ upload 8 on Sunday, but it depends on how evil my parents are feeling. ;)       

       You know the deal! Review, and tell me how much you love my fic, or how much you hate other peoples fics compared to mine, or, you get the point! ;) But seriously, constructive criticism is welcome. Got any good ideas about how Vegeta's gonna react? Tell me! I haven't gotten it all figured out anyway… -_-'

   Love's ya!


	8. TCtF Chapter 8

       Like I said, sorry it's taking so long! I had a really awesome weekend though! 

       Rae: Trunks and Bulma are both their cute, 20-ish selves. They probably look like they could be Bra's slightly older, twin siblings. ^__^ And there is a little Veggie vulnerability happening, but, this isn't a v/b get-together, so um, it's ok.  -_-'

       **_The two Trunks' will be interacting in this chapter! So! The older, aka Mirai Trunks will be spelled with a lowercase t; trunks. The younger, dead Trunks will be capitalized, thusly; Trunks. I hope this doesn't just confuse you more!_**

       Anyhow, onwards!

Disclaim Bra/Pan 18

Goten    29

Trunks   30

Disclaimer: You know what? I am making millions off of this story, which, I might add, is chock full of copyrighted characters! So…sue me!

(~*~)

       Vegeta stirred slightly, turning on his side, but didn't wake. He reached towards her side of the bed as if to scoop something into his arms. Only he stopped right before touching her, his once peaceful expression turning into a scowl. He recoiled quickly, placing one hand between his cheek and the pillow, and the other on the bed by his chest.

       Bulma slowly lay down next to him on the bed, pulling his one free arm around her, and placing her own arm around his middle. 

       He jumped slightly, now obviously awake, but keeping his eyes closed. He was trembling. His hand moved up her arm to her shoulder, then caressed her cheek softly, and moved on to touch her hair. He stopped suddenly, as if still unsure of her true identity. Why wouldn't he know it was her? 

       Suddenly growing pale, he removed a shaking hand from her head, searching the pillow above it almost frantically. What on Chikyuu? Her halo made a soft, melodic sound when he touched it. 

       Smiling ever so slightly, he put his hand on the small of her back, pulling her close. Only now did his dark eyes open, staring deeply into her blue. He brushed her lips lightly with his own, and she moved forward, deepening their kiss. After a few moments Bulma tasted saline.

       She opened her eyes momentarily to look at Vegeta. His eyes were still closed, and tears leaked softly down his cheeks. She pulled back, lifting her hand to cup his cheek. Using her thumb, she brushed away a tear, kissed his forehead gently. He shuddered and tightened his arms around her, burying his face in her neck.

       She shivered when he licked that ever-present scar on her neck.

(~*~)

       Trunks and trunks sat together with Bra in her room. All three faces grew even more red(if that was possible) when the _sounds_ from their parents room grew louder. 

       "I'll make pancakes for breakfast," babbled Bra. " Or maybe waffles. What do you guys want?"

       Trunks jumped up suddenly. "That's it!" He nearly shouted, storming over to the balcony doors, tail lashing angrily. "I can't take this anymore! Let's get out of here." He threw open the door roughly and stood on the balcony before glancing back at his sister and his…self. They followed him quickly, and by the time Bra shut the door behind her, relief was evident on all three faces. They heaved a collective sigh.

       "Why don't we go see Goten?" Bra suggested hopefully, and trunks raised an eyebrow at her. She replied by sticking out her tongue at him, and then looked at Trunks, her eyes almost begging. He looked at her suspiciously, and slowly nodded his head.

       "'Kay." Trunks decided, his feet lifting off the ground. They took off together towards the Son residence.

       Stealthily trunks stole up beside his counterpart, and tugged on his hair none-too-softly. He moved away quickly, taking on a look of innocence.

       "Ouch!" Trunks protested, rubbing his abused scalp. He scowled at the older man. "What was that for?" he questioned angrily.

      trunks smiled, enfuriating Trunks even further. "Just a little payback. I swear _every time_ I held you as a baby you grabbed my hair. Even if 'Kaasan was holding you, if I happened to be nearby, you'd _always_ grab it. 'Tousan thought it was funny as hell."

       "Gomen nasai." Trunks muttered, looking a little weirded out. Bra had a dreamy look on her face, seemingly talking to herself. The boys picked up on the word 'Goten' and smothered chuckles.

       "She and Goten are 'bonded', as 'tousan said." Trunks looked somewhat shocked at trunks explanation, and maybe a little angry, probably with Goten. Scowling, Trunks nudged Bra with his elbow none too lightly, causing her to elbow him back, a scowl now plastered across her face as well.

       "What's up with you and Goten?" Trunks questioned.

       "Nothing. We're good friends." She lied, and Trunks rolled his eyes.

       "That's not what he said." He replied, jabbing a thumb in trunks direction. "_He _said that you guys are _bonded_." He took her chin between thumb and forefinger and tilted her head back, exposing her neck. "Funny, you don't _look_ bonded." She jerked her head away, giving him a confused look.

       "What on Chikyuu are you talking about? How do you _look_ bonded?" Trunks gave her an incredulous look. trunks just looked at him with great interest, as if to say, "how you gonna get yourself outta _that_ one?" earning him a glare from Trunks.

       "How do you know you're bonded if he didn't, um, mark you." She still looked confused, and Trunks cursed. She closed her eyes.

       "I know we're bonded because right now, he's sleeping, and having a nightmare about Touchan beating him up because we bonded. And Touchan is also a vampire oozaru and holding me in his hand King Kong style. I look like a supermodel." She opened her eyes. "If you think I'm lying, we can ask him. Actually, I can wake him up from here."

       "Go ahead and try. Unless he's magically become a light sleeper since I've been gone, you're gonna have a hell of a time of it." He smirked confidently. 

       She shrugged and suggested they wait there for a few minutes. Trunks was getting rather impatient when Goten flew into view with Pan right behind him. Trunks, laying on his back on the grass with his eyes closed, was greeted happily by his friend, who sat on his chest. He gave a strangled protest, informing Goten of his now larger build. 

       "You're heavy," Trunks repeated, after Goten unseated himself. "And you should be happy, you've done what no one else has ever done. You're older than me. Of course, you're older than my mom too, but that's beside the point." He watched fixedly when Pan crossed in front of him, towards trunks. "Damn, is that you're little brat neice?" Trunks questioned. Goten rolled his eyes, and Pan kicked Trunks in his side before stepping on his stomach to continue on her merry way.

       "Damn, is that your little brat sister?" He answered, earning him a smack upside the head from Bra. "What? He said it." She smacked him again for good measure.

       "_You_ skipped dinner last night." Pan informed trunks, poking him in the chest.

       "I know, family troubles. I always hate missing Chi-Chi-san's cooking." Bra glared at him. "Not that there's anything wrong with Bra's cooking. But Chi-Chi's pupil's cooking and her own are two very different things, right Bra?" He looked at her hopefully, but she only continued to glare before turning her attention back to Goten. 

       "Um yeah." He finished awkwardly and Pan smiled at him. "So why aren't you over there with your old friend?" She shrugged.

       "He's not. I was like three when he died so it's not like I remember him. He's being a jerk anyway." She smiled at him again and he shifted uncomfortably.

       "Too much of Tousan in him I guess." She nodded again, and this time Trunks glared, managing to look even more like Vegeta than usual. Pan burst out laughing. "I say we get something to eat, I'm getting hungry." She suggested hopefully, looking at her uncle.

       They went to the nearest convenience store and bought out almost the entire chip isle. The lone clerk was set to work making sandwiches and hotdogs, and of course, Bra paid. They sat in a line on the curb, munching happily. 

       Pan sat between trunks and Bra, who sat next to Goten, with Trunks on the end. Pan sighed loudly.

       "It's not fair Bra. You have cute guys practically swarming your house." Bra made a face. 

       "Pan, that's _really_ gross. Those guys are my brother…s. I guess they're both brothers to me," she decided. "Except that _he_," she pointed to the other side of Goten, "is more like my twin brother, since we're close in age and personality, I think. And _he_," she gestured over Pan, "is like an older, much wiser brother." She nodded once emphatically.

       "I'm still hungry," Goten whined. Shocking, isn't it? Bra elbowed him sharply, and he groaned. 

       "Ribs…broken…pain…" he muttered pitifully. Bra rolled her eyes and rubbed his side gently. _When it actually gets light we'll go get some food at home. Hows pancakes sound?_ She asked. _My Kaachan's back too, and being on the bedroom level has been deemed unsafe. Otherwise we'd go back now. _Goten snickered and Trunks gave him an odd look. "What?" Goten wondered aloud, and Trunks shook his head nevermind.

       "You know, it is like six o'clock, we'll stay downstairs." Goten nearly begged.

       "Alright alright, we' re going already. Sheesh Goten." Goten stood up joyously, pulling Bra up by her hand.

       Both Trunks stood up, and trunks turned back around to help Pan to her feet. She stumbled slightly when she was near standing position. Her arms shot out and around his neck to prevent a fall and he steadied her with arms around her waist. She mentally gave herself a point, the old stumble-when-you're-next-to-him had actually worked! I mean, really worked, he seemed to be lost in her eyes, and she took joy in those soulful blue eyes, staring deeply into her own dark ones. His face suddenly grew red, and he pulled away sharply, almost causing her to stumble again.

       "Eh, sorry." He mumbled, trying to look anywhere but at Pan. She took to the air, and the rest followed suit quickly. Goten and Bra teased trunks and Pan mercilessly on the way back to Capsule Corp. Pan fought back valiantly, outnumbered as she was, and trunks continued to blush furiously, staying silent through the onslaught. She gave him a quick pat on the back.

       "Don't mind them. I think it's time the vultures left, eh?" She formed a small ki ball in her palm, quickly chucking it at Goten's back. He dodged easily, not bothering to turn around and acknowledge her attack. Pan shrugged nonchalantly, settling on a swift kick to the rear. 

       Goten grumbled murderously, occasionally glaring at Pan, and casting puppy dog eyes at Bra, who ignored him easily. He gave up his ply for sympathy, and settled on joking Trunks about his age. 

(~*~)

       Vegeta smiled slightly as Bulma sighed, stretching luxuriously from where she lay on his chest. His arms tightened around her waist, and he pondered never having been happier. That pain, _the_ pain, was gone, leaving only a sense of completion and downright happiness in it's wake. 

       He kissed her forehead, his hand absently stroking her blue hair. 

       "You seemed unsure of who I was when I got here. Why's that?" She asked sleepily, her hand drawing mindless circles on the smooth skin of his chest.

       "Because the other Trunks is here, and he brought his mother. I thought it might be her sneaking around where she doesn't belong. They showed up yesterday."

       She nodded. "It's a regular family reunion eh? What do you say we grab a shower and a bite to eat. I also plan on spending some time with Bra today, just to prepare you." He nodded. 

       She sat up and started to crawl over him toward the other side of the bed, leaving a tantalizing expanse of stomach open. He snagged the chance to tickle her mercilessly, rendering her a giggling heap on the mattress.

       "Vegeta…stop, we…gotta shower…" She managed to gasp out, and began her crawl across the bed again. He was off the bed first, slinging her over a shoulder and walking to the bathroom as with a prize kill. He set her down, silencing her loud protestations with a warm kiss, which left her gasping yet again.

       They showered, though not as quickly as humanly possible. Of course, we aren't just talking about humans here, and the Saiyajin in question managed to slow down the showering process considerably.

       He dried her off gently, with a large white towel, raining kisses on her face and neck. She wrapped the towel around her shoulders once dry, and stood watching him dry off with great interest. She looked even more angelic with the white towel and halo, and he couldn't resist stealing another kiss. 

       "Your hair looks way better that way." Bulma remarked as they dressed. He stopped by the nightstand to take a long swallow from his water cup. "Bra made you cut it, didn't she?" He choked, spraying a mouthful of water back in the glass. Vegeta was saved from answering by the violent coughing spell that took hold of him all the way downstairs.

       Upon reaching the kitchen she gave him a glass of milk, and he muttered something about giving a grown man baby food, but he drank the beverage none-the-less. 

       "The brats are coming." He noted darkly, a split second before the door flew open, and five young, hungry demi-Saiyajin entered loudly, with Goten at their head. 

       Bulma made the rounds, hugging whoever called for one, pretty much everybody, and Bra made her way over to Vegeta. Bulma watched in amazement as her mate and daughter commenced their hair-pulling routine, noting carefully the soft look on Vegeta's face.Only one day here in heaven, it really wasn't fair.

       Bulma wandered upstairs to awaken her counterpart, noticing Vegeta following like a lost puppy with nothing better to do. She realized then that she had dozens of rooms to search, and absolutely no idea where this woman was. Vegeta somehow sensed how lost she was(despite this being her home) and kindly pointed to a door, smirking quietly.

       She knocked softly, receiving a sleepy call for entry in return. 

***

Well, again I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, I had the flu, and I had the flu, and then I had schoolwork. Also, I got a great idea for a fic once this one's done, YAY! 

       I have found a way to type chapters late at night in the comfort of my room, so unless I hit a major block(or I get really tired) things should progress fairly nicely from here.

       Remember, you must review! Or I might not finish it…

       Ok, that was an empty threat!! But really, you should review…


	9. TCtF Chapter 9

       Um, yeah, so, it's taking a little while because I'm considering a major plot change, and I don't know if I wanna follow through on it yet. But, I'm trying…

       **Oh yeah, the two Bulma's talk a bit in this chapter. Same deal as with the two Trunks'; Older, Mirai Bulma is with a little b:bulma.  And younger, dead Bulma is a big B:Bulma!! So, hopefully no more confusion(or at least I hope not…) headed your way!**

Also, ~~~~ indicates a falshback. I can't remember what I did last time I flashed back, and I'm too dern lazy to go look.

    Discalimer: I own my CD player. And various CD's, some that even have DragonBall Z music on them! Well, I do't own the DBZ cd's, they're pirated copies that my HOST FAMILY made while I was in Japan, so, um, don't sue nobody!

(~*~)

       bulma stretched, trying to relieve the crick in her neck from sleeping wrong. A soft knock sounded on the door, and she gave a sleepy, slightly slurred, "Come in." She waited patiently for trunks to open the door, and tried to hide her shock when a young, halo-bearing Bulma entered. Vegeta stood against the wall, visible over Bulma's shoulder.

       She looked herself over quickly, making sure no important parts were showing. She sat up, feeling a little like an intruder.

       "Morning already?" she asked, trying to break the somewhat awkward silence.

       "Hai," the younger woman answered. "All the kids are here for breakfast. 'The kids' as in your kid, my two, one each of Goku's and Gohan's."

       bulma nodded, "Ah, Goten, Bra's _friend_?" She gave Vegeta a questioning look, and he nodded gruffly, anger crossing his face wordlessly. Bulma stifled a chuckle. "And Gohan has a…daughter, right?" Bulma gave her a quick nod in the affirmative.

       "Hai, Son Pan. Well, I'll let you get dressed, breakfast is on the way. I hear Bra is cooking. Pancakes I think, Goten's request." She grinned as she looked at Vegeta, who nodded again, gruffness and anger still evident. "You'll get used to him, dear," Bulma noted, patting Vegeta on the head in a condescending manner before leading the way back down the hall. He muttered something about Bra not watering down her blood by mating a human as he followed his mate.

       bulma shook her head in disbelief as she got out of bed. The two had actually treated each other in a civil manner, though there was still sarcasm involved. Aside from their nightly endeavours, she and her mate had been quite distant, maybe with a lot of time and effort they could have reached the stage that the alternate couple enjoyed. But that wasn't going to happen, and nothing could change it now.      

        She stepped into the shower, cursing her aging bones, reminding her that even if she fixed their own past, she wouldn't have much longer to enjoy it. She might even get less time, if things progressed as they had here. Everything would be reversed. She would have what she wanted, and then _she_ would be the one removed from the pattern. There may be no winning this battle, the odds seemed set against her either way.

       Silently cursing whoever had come up with the bright idea of numerous timelines, she scrubbed her body clean, somewhat thankful that all her favorite soaps and shampoos were in stock. Already in the shower in fact; it seemed that she and her counterpart enjoyed the exact same preference in soap.

       Bulma marveled again at what Vegeta could have been. The story of her life; could have, would have, should have been…or the ever-present 'what if'. All represented another dangerous train of thought, which led only to depression and hopelessness. Ah yes, the rest of the story of her life. Depression and hopelessness. Constant, bitter companions, who brought nothing to the table and left with all they could carry.

       She chastised herself; plenty had been given her. She still had her little boy, who would of course outlive her. Her mind tried to branch off in that direction, to regret leaving Trunks very alone in an already lonely world. She shrugged off the thought that _always_ saddened her nearly to the breaking point. 

       She realized with a start that the water was becoming steadily colder, and she had long since finished washing her small form. Turning off the faucet quickly and removing herself from the spacious shower stall, she grabbed a towel off the warmer and dried off. 

       Seeing Bulma, with her little halo and perfect age reminded her yet again of why she could not stay and live in this time. It was a known fact that you never know when you're going to kick off, and Vegeta might be waiting for her in _their_ Ano-yo. She let that idea take her fancy until she finished dressing. Imagine, looking forward to death. And she was probably one of very few…

       Another perk of being in your own house and not, clothes that fit perfect. Clothes bought just for you! Only this treasure trove was in her counterpart's bedroom, down the hall a mere few feet. She found a pristine terry-cloth bath robe and slipped silently down the hall on soft feet. She thanked Kami to find the door open and the room empty. Though it was a bit on the messy side. The sheets were horribly rumpled, the blankets on the floor, pillows in odd places on the bed, and two pair of clothes lying wherever they had landed. Rather odd places to find clothes, too, on top of the tv, a bookcase, and lamp. 

       She shook her head bemusedly and dressed quickly in the large closet. She headed downstairs toward a veritable ruckus of young voices, silenced abruptly by a yelling Saiyajin no Ouji. The patter of voices continued softly, with a few giggles and chuckles audible. (AN: Yeah, I know it sounds weird, giggles _and_ chuckles, but I just don't see Trunks and Goten _giggling_. Nor do I see Bra and Pan really _chuckling_, though I guess that one would be okay. Whatever, I'm rambling horribly. It's near 1:30, can ya blame me?)

(~*~)

       He watched silently as the only two women that were worth anything(in his mind at least) prepared breakfast. He asked how long the meal would take, wondering if he had time for a quick spar with his eldest. He longed to spend every waking moment with his mate, but he also knew that he had to spend time with his son, else he would regret it later. 

       He decided to wait until after breakfast, Trunks was occupied with his friends at the moment anyhow. It was interesting to watch the way he interacted with the other semi-saiyajin.

       Bra was treated nicely, although there was some annoying-little-sister feeling present. Goten was still the same companion. trunks was ignored for the most part, but only because Trunks seemed a little creeped out by his counterpart. Pan, who seemed to be socializing happily with trunks, was also ignored, having been merely Bra's _little_ playmate. He had even babysat her numerous times.

       His eyes moved to refocus on his mate. How could he tell her? Tell her the words she needed to hear, that he needed to speak. He had pondered it the whole night, deciding finally that it was best not to tell her just yet. That it would only bring her pain when she left again in a few hours. Hours. Mere hours to have them back. How much longer till Bra and Goten were _really_ mated? He supposed he should wait till she had bourne her first child successfully before he _left_. Leave and join Bulma eternally. At least this time, he could say goodbye.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

       "Vegeta?" A grunt in reply. "I'm going clothes shopping, do you need anything?" Bulma received the usual order for sweat pants and other training gear.

_       "I'm taking the kids," she called out as she gathered her purse in the living room. _

_       "Whatever," he replied. She rolled her eyes although she was in a different room and knew he couldn't see her._

_       "I'll be back in time for dinner, just don't eat the meat I set out to thaw," another grunt for a reply. A small blue haired child bounced into the kitchen, squealing shrilly. Vegeta covered his ears to protect them from the onslaught. She wrapped small arms around his leg in a fierce hug, still giggling. He patted her head uncomfortably, still unsure of what to do with displays of affection from people other than his mate. _

_       "Bye bye Touchan!" She crowed before running out of the room after her mother and brother. Kami how he hated that title. At least the older brat called him Tousan. _

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Vegeta considered the irony of the bittersweet memory. The only one who had actually gotten a goodbye was the one that would live to see him again.

       He was glad for Bra's company, though having his entire family would of course be preferable. If they had all perished that day, he didn't think that he would still be living. After all, what would he have to live for? Train himself to death? No, he would have followed his instincts, taken his revenge, and ended it. It would be so wonderful just to end it, to free himself of all the constant pain and pointlessness of his life.

       He mentally shook himself, ridding his mind of such depressing thoughts. They were here now, and he wouldn't let such things get in the way of their last times together.

*****

       I know I know, it's short. But I hate taking forever to get chapters posted.

       Also! I only got ONE review last chapter! A most cherished review, but still! I do require more than one review!! I may start putting limits on you people, such as, no chapter #whatever until I get __ many reviews!! So review or I swear I'll do it!


	10. TCtF Chapter 10

       Just so y'all know, I'm like really hyped up tonight. Don't ask me why, I really couldn't tell ya. I'm a little on the incoherent side, and when I look back at what I've written tomorrow, I'm probably gonna be like, "What the hell??"

       Fun to write as this is, this chappie is a little on the boring side(to me anyways, but I'm also hyper and like ADD right now). There's more character development than plot advancement, so, yeah. Knowing y'all, you'll probly love it, and you know what I say? Bo-ring. Mwahahahaha!!!

       -_-;; Please note that I am on a review high(I love y'all!!) so I'm gonna be like really full of myself for awhile. Just a warning. Beware! Beware! Be very very ware! Oh my _gosh_ I need sleep…

       Yeah, you guys know the deal with the double Trunks' and Bulma's. And if you don't by now, you can just go back a few chapters!

Disclaimer: I own a mountain of stuffed animals. Really. I adore my stuffed animals. I make up soap opera's with them late at night. Oooo, lookie! It's almost 2am…

(~*~)

       Setting the pan back on the burner after emptying it of pancakes, Bra turned around to head to the 'fridge, running into Goten in the process. She gave a start, wondering how he had managed to sneak up on her, in front of her father even. Knowing Vegeta, unpredictable as he was, he'd probably like that Goten didn't cower away from him. 

       Or maybe not…

       Growling ferally, the shorter Saiyajin pushed Goten neatly to the other side of the kitchen with a small shove. Goten gave an embarassed look before scampering from the room, feeling somewhat harassed. Bra punched her father in the arm, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes. He ignored her, having long since de-sensitized himself to the 'look of doom', instead walking over to stand behind his mate. He rested his chin on her shoulder while encircling her waist protectively with his arms. Bulma continued pouring batter into the frying pan, but Bra didn't miss the small movement of her head, so her temple was in contact with Vegeta's.

       Bra focused on his eyes, noting how content he looked. The onyx orbs had lost their deadened look, making him seem alive for the first time that she could recall. She loved seeing him this happy. Bulma and Trunks leavetaking would leave him in a worse state than before, and Bra knew she would be hard-pressed to keep him among the living for much longer. He had told her once that Saiyajin father's bond with their children, to ensure they didn't abandon them. Of course, the bond wasn't nearly as strong as that between mates, but it was enough to alert her to his often suicidal mindset.

       Of course, she had never really expected him to stick around long after she married. Or mated. Whatever. She got the feeling that raising her was the only reason he had not died long since. She turned her mind to happier ramblings.

       Trunks was exactly how Goten had said he would be. A guy. Her Kaachan though. Maybe she was just acting real nice since she was so happy to be home. All of their old friends said she had been feisty. It was most likely the reason that Bra had been compared to her mother so often by the older employees at CC. She ruled her kingdom with an iron touch. Silky smooth on the outside, and strong as, well, iron on the inside.

       She couldn't wait to get her mother into the lab. She would have to make a run home to get the scouter that she had made for her father a few years back. She had never bothered with the old components. She possesed what neither one of her parents could ever lay claim to, knowledge of technology _and_ fighting. And from what Vegeta said, her invention did even more than his old scouter had. 

       Bulma started giggling suddenly, and Bra paused to see what was going on. Vegeta was whispering inaudibly in her ear, and his fingers were tickling her sides. He had his 'smirk of death' on, as Bra called it. But it wasn't a cold smirk, more like a smile. Bulma turned to face him, trying to avoid the torture. But it was of no use, as her back was trapped against the counter. Bra couldn't help smiling at their childish antics, and returned to slicing strawberries in half. 

       trunks mother entered the kitchen, looking bright and refreshed, though her eyes betrayed signs of old age. As if she had seen far too much in her not-so-very long life. 

(~*~)

       Traipsing down hallways that were eerily familiar, yet sometimes strikingly different, bulma tried to push away the tide of homesickness that washed over her. Wonderful smells drew her quickly to the kitchen. 

       Hearing what must be a younger version of her own laugh, she stopped in the doorway, surveying her surroundings hastily. Bra was being the little domestic goddess, and slicing fruit while watching the pancakes and occasionally yelling something to the young semi-saiyajin in the next room, using the window between the two rooms to her advantage.

       Bulma was being tickled viciously by Vegeta, who had her pinned to the counter with his body. bulma couldn't make out what he was telling his mate, but it only made her laugh that much harder. She heaved a small sigh, wishing the empty feeling she had gained at Vegeta's death would disappear, or be filled, or be anything but what it was…painful.

       She took heart, reminding herself that she had helped to give the couple before her at least this much. And the young lovers of the next generation also. She gave Bra a small smile and a quick, "Ohayo" before heading to the living room, where the afore-mentioned next generation was socializing. 

       Again stopping in the door way, she scanned the faces before her. Of course, trunks was easily recognized. As was his counterpart, who looked a great deal younger, about the same age his mother appeared to be. Not to mention he had regained his tail. Or perhaps he had never lost it? A question for later. Goten was sitting next to Trunks, and the two seemed to be taking turns smacking each other upside the head, large grins plastered across their faces. Bra seemed to be cheering them on from where she watched in the kitchen. bulma shook her head in confusion, teenage boys had _always_ puzzled her. Especially Saiyajin teenage boys. Of course, she had only known very few, but they were still a mystery sometimes. 

       A black-haired girl, about Bra's age, was seated close to trunks, both obviously ashamed of their companions odd, rather unintelligent behavior. They whispered to each other occasionally, probably on the subject of the spectacle before them, their whispering fazing into laughter every few moments. After a couple minutes trunks noticed his mother, and quickly rose to cross the room and kiss her on the cheek. Giving her son a pat on the back, she shooed him back over to be with his _new_ friends. She could tell he was feeling a little awkward, considering his last visit to this time, all of his friends had been these young Saiyajin's _parents_. He still felt a part of the older crowd, and yet part of the younger, too. Not a very easy place to be.

       It was really no surprise to see trunks enjoying the company of Gohan's _daughter_, as she most likely posessed at least a few of her father's personality traits. bulma wondered idly who the girl's mother was. Yet another question for later. 

       Retreating back into the kitchen, bulma noted the comfortable silence that had commandeered the room, aside from Bra's occasional interjections to those seated on the other side of the window. Bulma was back to pancake frying, and Vegeta was in his usual spot, leaning on the refrigerator, his arms crossed over his chest. 

       He had always loved that spot, even here, she supposed. Especially when he had still been unfamiliar with the family. If they happened to need anything out of the large appliance, he would stand there, umoving, simply staring at them as though they were dumb animals. Or, in bulma's case, he would taunt and tease till he got a good argument out of her. Of course, if bulma happened to be the hungry one, he could usually get a rise out of her either way.

       Bra crossed the kitchen towards the fridge, seemingly in search of more fruit. She stopped when she was standing directly in front of Vegeta, her blue eyes staring forcefully into his. 

       "Touchan," she began quietly, menacingly. "You can move, or be moved." She paused then, waiting for his reply.

       "Che, I would _love_ to see you try," he challenged. In a movement too fast for either Bulma to see, much less comprehend, the pair was on the other side of the room, Bra tightly gripping a handful of her fathers thick hair. He seemed a little unnerved, and tried to stay dignified while shifting to avoid any more pain to his scalp. Immensely satisfied, Bra blurred back to stand in front of the appliance-which-contains-cold-things.

       Vegeta straightened and huffed his way over to another unoccupied piece of wall. His eyes once again fastened themselves onto his mate, who was trying to smother her chuckles with a small hand. 

       "Bra, I must congratulate you on achieving the impossible. You've done what I was never able to do; remove your father from one of his 'spots'." Bulma remarked, her face turning red from the effort of hiding her amusement.

       "I did, once," bulma said quietly. She blushed bright red. "Except that I didn't get any food, and the only result was trunks." Her blush deepened even more.

       Bulma gave her a knowing look. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." She smiled almost evilly.

       "Too much information!" Bra cried, backing away from the refrigerator hastily. "Icky!" she near-sobbed. Both Bulmas burst into rather sadistic laughter, and Vegeta eyed the two warily, a hunted look on his face.

       "Not to change the subject, but—" bulma began, still giggling.

       "Please do!" the blue-haired demi-saiyajin interjected vehemently. bulma laughed again.

       "Do you mind my asking what your plans are for your day home?" Bulma shrugged in response, glancing at Vegeta to see if he had anything to say. "Then can I make a suggestion? How about a little get-together? Just for the Z senshi of course, no one else would really understand." She waited expectantly, somewhat hopefully. Bulma gave her mate a look of, "why not?" and he merely shrugged in return. 

       "Party time!" Bra cried, skipping joyously into the other room. She quickly sent the group off to various destinations. She paused for a moment to ask her mother what time to tell everyone, then returned to her delegating. Pan was sent to retrieve Marron and her family, along with Roshi. She seemed a little disgruntled to have to go near the old master, but did as ordered; she knew that nothing good came from crossing the young owner of Capsule Corp.. Goten of course was sent home, with Trunks in tow. trunks was given directions to Yamucha's spiffy bachelor pad, and some encapsulized vehicle to drive.

       Having sent friends and family off to complete their tasks, Bra returned to the room with her parents in it. She got shocked looks from her mother, and her mother's counterpart. Vegeta looked in no way surprised, having seen his daughter deal with her employees in a similar manner.

       "What?" she asked, returning to the griddle with renewed fervor.

(~*~)

       Goten, Trunks and the rest of the Son clan arrived early, as Chi-Chi insisted she help with cooking. 

      After eating breakfast(which everyone loved) both Bulma's quickly took a seat in the living room with Goku, while Vegeta and Trunks began their sparring session, and Chi-Chi and her prize student began preparing the food.

       "Hey Bulma, how do you like your halo? I always enjoyed mine, since it kinda reminded me of my tail." Goku looked somewhat nostalgic, now posessing neither halo nor tail. Bulma gave him a confused look.

       "How does it remind you of your tail?" She touched the gold ring lightly, and it glowed brighter and made a melodic humming sound at her touch.

       "Has anyone ever flicked it, or just grabbed ahold?" She nodded, a pained expression crossing her features. "It hurt like hell didn't it." She nodded, obviously recalling at least one such instance. bulma was leaning forward in her chair, her curiosity peaked by the small ring above the other woman's head. Bulma grinned then, shaking her head.

       "Poor Trunks has the best of both worlds then, tail _and_ halo." Goku looked shocked, and quickly rushed to the window to view the sparring match outside. After a moment he nodded, as if he had been sure that Bulma was pulling his leg about her son. He sat down again, obviously satisfied that she had been telling the truth. The two women rolled their eyes in unison.

       "So," Goku continued his questioning. "Have you met the Grand Kai yet?" Bulma looked somewhat disgruntled at the mention of the old warrior.

       "Hai, though I didn't particularly like him. He reminds me of Roshi a little too much. Apparently, I'm the first female on his planet that didn't threaten to kill him, and even if I did threaten, I would not be able to back it up." Goku chuckled, and bulma just gave her a knowing glance. 

       Silence reigned for a few moments, the three all lost in their own thoughts. Bulma found herself thinking of this Grand Kai, if perhaps he knew anything about time, and timelines in particular. She voiced her query, and Goku answered quickly.

       "I don't know about the Grand Kai, but Supreme Kai might know something. Did they tell you about Supreme Kai yet? We met him when Majin Buu appeared. Why do you want to know anyways?" bulma briefly(no pun intended) explained their real reason for 'coming for a visit'.

       "Supreme Kai is higher than Grand Kai, I'm guessing?" She asked after telling her shortened tale. She was given vigorous nods in return. "Therefore he should know more on the subject. But from the way you guys are talking, Grand Kai is hard enough to get an audience with, and Supreme Kai—"

       "Is not even on Grand Kai's planet." Goku finished.

       "And this helps us how?" Bulma wondered. "I haven't done enough to go see Supreme Kai, so knowing he exists does us no good."

       "Sure it does." Goku stated, making sound the most obvious thing in the world. "You forget that I can teleport to Ano-yo. Maybe once you and Trunks go back we could all go see Supreme Kai, and see what we can find out." Abulma tried to force down the spark of hope welling within her, but it wasn't possible. She felt like dancing around the room singing Hallelujah. Bulma was thinking hard about the matter, her brow creased with the effort she was putting into it. She spoke up after a few minutes.

       "I want this to stay between the three of us. There's no point in getting everybody's hopes up, and there's really no reason for them to know. I've made my own time machine, since your trunks gave me the blueprints. If we do find a way to 'modify' these things, I'm sure we'll both be eager to fix our own pasts respectively." bulma nodded her agreement, and Goku agreed quickly, seeing no real reason to disagree.

       A loud, but distant all-too-familiar roar shook the house, causing all in the building to rush outside at top speed.

(~*~)

       Vegeta smirked almost evilly, fatherly pride rushing through his compact form. He watched with no small joy as his son sat ungracefully on the ground, seemingly bored. His movement caused the ground to shake quite a bit.

       _Do you know how many times I've had to demonstrate this?_ Trunks informed him telepathically, sounding exasperated, yet an audible hint of exhilaration still clung to his voice.

       "Demonstrate? Were you in the middle of a fight when you 'demonstrated' your transformation? And when did you learn to control it?" Vegeta asked, a scowl quickly replacing the smirk that had previously adorned his face. 

       _Yes I only did it while fighting, at least in front of other warriors. And King Kai taught me, I guess somebody made him another planet, because that's where he trained me._ His tail was curled up in a question mark, curling and uncurling for no apparent reason. 

       Vegeta opened his mouth, intending on inquiring further, when he was rather rudely interrupted by the crowd that had rushed from the house. After being assured repeatedly that Trunks was in complete control of himself, all but Bra went back inside. Vegeta ground his teeth, growling quietly as she moved to stand beside Goten, her arm looping through his easily.

       The Prince began a slow ascent toward his artificial moonlight. 

       "Vegeta-san!" Goten exclaimed urgently without taking his eyes off of the saiyajin woman at his side. Bra was standing with her shoulders slumped, her mouth wide open and eyes wide as she stared transfixed by the hovering ball of light. Her newly formed tail twitched excitedly behind her. She abruptly began her growth, gaining height, weight, bulk, and hair at an alarming rate. Goten leapt towards her tail, a ki blade already forming in his hand.

       _Wait!_ Vegeta shouted into Goten's mind, and the younger man stopped in midair, clutching his head in pain. He and Trunks were racing towards the moonlight, the oozaru with his huge height advantage reaching it first, using his body to block the light from his younger sibling. Vegeta reached the destination a split second later, drawing the energy back inside with his hand.

       Bra began to shrink as fast as she had begun her growth, and in a moment she was lying face-down on the lawn, her clothes in shreds around her. Goten was kneeling nearby, still holding his head, his eyes tightly shut. Trunks who had lost his oozaru status along with the moonlight, shot towards the window to his room to gather clothes for himself and his sister.

       Crouching by the young woman, Vegeta carefully gathered her into his arms and carried her to Trunks room. She was quickly dressed in a pair of Trunks' sweatpants-a hole was cut for her tail-and a large t-shirt and laid on her own bed to rest.   

       Goten must have mostly recovered, because Vegeta sensed his ki in the house. He had a serious headache though. The short saiyajin smirked in satisfaction and headed downstairs in search of food.

       He found Goten seated on the couch, his head in his hands, with his mother cooing and hugging and doing other sickening maternal things. Vegeta scoffed at the sight of the young warrior allowing a woman to treat him like a small child with a stomachache. Except that someone she didn't particularly like had caused that ache, and there would be hell to pay. As expected, Chi-Chi stomped over to Vegeta to give him a sound tongue-lashing, his ears ringing in response to the woman's _loud_ exclamations.

       He raised a hand to silence her, and cut in when he found a pause in her monologue. "Urasai! I wanted her to keep her tail! Believe it or not, there are other ways to stop an oozaru besides hacking off their tail. It's just a matter of blocking the light source." He sadly thought of the loss of his own tail, but quickly focused on Kakarrot's mate, who was not all that satisfied with his explanation.

       He gave up on drowning her out and went to stand by his mate. 

***

There! That one was a bit longer right? Riiiight? I thought so. After all, it was like twice as long as 9!

    You guys are so incredibly awesome!!!! I got like 8 reviews last chapter!!! Can we hit ten reviews for chapter 10????? Pretty please!! With senzu on top! I'll love y'all forever! ^__^

       Yep, my brain is still on an alltime low for intelligence and coherency ratings…hyperactivity and review euphoria are on an unrecorded high! Not so sure if I want that to change anytime soon, though I really do need my intelligence scores backup if I'm gonna do any schoolwork _right_. That's kind of important, huh?

       Well, now that my end-of-chapter-note is over, do you know what time it is?? Do you? 

It…

…is…

…REVIEW…

…time!!!!!!

Or email, for those of y'all over at Angel Fanfiction! dbzfan@cox.net ! Thank ya Ann!


	11. TCtF Chapter 11

Well, dumb butt ff.net seems to have it out for me, so I'm biding my time, my brilliant mind already planning for its downfall… Mwahahaha!

       Yep, FF.net shall clean up its act one of these days, and I will be looking over it's shoulder with my sawed off shotgun. Hee hee hee…

       I'm not so much hyper as psychotic now, don't mind me. 

       Did you like last chapter? Seriously??  Spleeeeendid. *Giggles in an evil sort of way*

       Sheesh, really , disregard my psycho side, it surfaces now and then, usually then, but occasionally now.

       Disclaimer: Know what? You wanna sue me? You know what I have to say to that? Really? 

Go. To. Hell. o_O  I'm sorry! That should be censored, ne? Ok, then you can go to HFIL!

(~*~)

       Pain was the first thing to register in her incoherent mind. Aches in places that she never even thought about, and some she did. She rubbed her aching head with a sore hand, every part of her body seemed to be hurting, not to mention the barest hint of a migraine, but somehow she knew that was Goten's head in pain. She shifted her weight, alarm shooting through her at the very loose feel of cloth about her, far too loose to be her own clothing. She recognized the need to open her eyes, but she hesitated, sure that some new hurt would be there to greet her at the first fluttering of eyelids.

       Bracing herself, she opened her eyes, pleasantly surprised at the lack of pain that ensued, probably due to the dimness of the room, with the curtains drawn and door closed. She was in her very own room, strangely wearing Trunks pants and shirt. She looked at the clock, and comparing the time to what it had been when she first went outside, only a half hour. Went outside. She remembered seeing Trunks as an oozaru, after so many years of listening to her father go on about how glorious the transformation was. And after that, black nothingness. Being here, and in pain.

       She shifted uncomfortably on the bed. What on chikyuu was she laying on? It didn't feel very good. At this point, nothing felt very good at all. She rolled to her side and felt behind her, discovering a warm, furry, tail-like structure. She moved it off to the side so she could get a clear view, and sat up sharply when realization dawned.

       She had a tail. A tail. The true mark of a Saiyajin. Excitement welled in her, as she considered how excited her father would be. A tail came with it's own set of problems though. Like work. She would be forced to wear long dresses, skirts, or pants all the time. Of course, dyed a different color, a tail could always serve as a belt, right? Vegeta had told her how Saiyajin usually kept their tails around their waist, at least in a fight.

       Climbing off of the bed carefully her warrior side kicked in, and she promptly ignored the pain, for the most part anyway. She could tell Goten was in a similar pain, though not nearly as bad as she felt. Like wise she could feel his headache. And she in return felt some of him feeling her pain, till their discomfort echoed back and forth between the two, multiplying it greatly. She dressed quickly and staggered downstairs, using the wall to her advantage for stability purposes.

       Yamucha and trunks had arrived, and were busy chatting with the rest of the gathered group. Pan had returned, apparently with the others to arrive soon. Her alternate brother stuck with the black haired daughter of Gohan, Bra noticed, and the two seemed to be enjoying the other's company immensely.

       Bra slumped down onto the couch next to Goten, who had drifted off despite the presence of food. She laid her head on his shoulder, ignoring the indignant glances Vegeta cast at her from across the room. Goten reached up a hand to stroke her hair, kissing the top of her head lightly. She looked up at him as she addressed him telepathically.

       _What happened to you?_ She asked, even her mind-voice sounding slurred. Goten informed her of what had occurred in the back yard, and why he had a headache. He was a little unsure of why she was so sore though. 

       Bulma, noticing her daughter's condition, and already aware of Goten's plight, left her spot by Vegeta(where they had been sitting in a position similar to the younger couple's, only they were holding hands) to fetch some strong painkillers. Her very own hangover formula was administered to the two demi-saiyajin, and a plate of food gathered for each. Goten was informed that to gain more food, he would have to serve himself, and she was met with a quiet nod. 

       Bra curled up against her mate as she dozed, the pain killers taking effect quickly. Her tail absently wrapped around his thigh as she fell asleep.

(~*~)

       Bulma looked at her daughter in silence, concern painting her features. Vegeta stroked her palm with his thumb, mentally assuring her that Bra would be fine in a few hours and that first transformations were always rough. She snuggled against him, letting his warmth soothe her. She ignored the fact that she was being a horrible hostess, not even serving her guests, much less socializing with them. As there really was no way to spend time with Bra at the moment, she spent her free time with her mate, who probably needed her attention more than anyone else present anyhow. 

       Not for the first time she contemplated his reaction to her the night before. Their 'fun in bed' had been no surprise, but before that, his crying, had shocked her to the core. She had rarely seen him display emotion so freely, and that was only right after he awoke from one of his nightmares... Ah, there it was. Not only had he been feeling strong emotions, but she had awakened him. 

       Of course, what had felt like a mere two years to her had been fifteen for him. She hated seeing how much pain he was in. Trying to ignore that glimmer of hope that had been ignited earlier in her conversation with herself and Goku, she put an arm around Vegeta's middle. His arm was laid across the back of the couch, and he moved his hand down to rub the back of her neck gently.

       bulma was still walking about the room moving from person to person. She held a glass of punch in one hand, which she refilled every few minutes. 

       The doorbell rang, and Pan rushed to open it, admitting Marron, holding a bowl of salad. 

(~*~) I could just stop here, and leave y'all hanging…but I'm not _that _psychotic, believe it or not. But then         

again, maybe I am… :)

       Happiness welled within her, socializing with these people again. Sometimes she felt a little…left out, but she accredited it to the fact that they had done things together that she had never even been aware of. She started at the familiar sound of the doorbell, and watched with interest as Pan answered the door. 

       A cute, pixie-faced girl entered, with a large salad in her hands. She chattered excitedly with Pan, and was followed closely by Krillin. A Krillin with thick salt and pepper hair. She took another close look at the girl, noting the resemblance. But there was no way she could have gotten that gorgeous blond hair from Krillin.

       She vaguely heard the sound of glass shattering, and her own gasp. 18 entered the house, her hair cut short along her jawline. Everyone looked back at bulma, and the broken glass. Memories flashed through her head, images of pain and suffering, senseless destruction. Watching helplessly as Vegeta was beaten to a bloody pulp, slowly killed and painfully reminded of his own weakness with every blow. Seeing Gohan getting his stump of an arm sewn up, and his eventual funeral. Chi-Chi hadn't even cried. She'd become a shell of her former self, refusing to eat, unless her father forced her. Her eyes had been so _empty_. Having to witness her yong son become a man long before he even would have entered Jr. High. Seeing the haunted look in his eyes, at the mere age of ten.

       Reality intruded upon her thoughts, and she glanced around the room hastily, embarassement causing her cheeks to burn. She crouched down to gather up the pieces of glass, the scraping sounds against tile seeming excruciatingly loud as it broke the silence in the room. trunks' hand covered hers, and he pulled her to a standing position, leading her gently from the room. Once away from the other guests, he pulled her into a suffocating hug. She hugged him in return, the tears that had been forming in her eyes now rolling down her cheeks, giving way to wrenching sobs. She wept into his chest, uncaring if those in the next room heard her. 

       Her crying slowed, and she pulled away to dry her face, giving trunks a kiss on the cheek, thanking him without words. trunks turned to look towards the door, or more specifically, to whoever had entered the room. She finished wiping her eyes and turned around to see Krillin, who looked even more embarassed than she felt. She giggled nervously, at a loss for words.

       "Are you okay bulma?" He began sheepishly, guilt plainly displayed on his features. "I guess we should have warned you guys, I didn't even think of it." He looked at the floor, his awkwardness visible.

       "No, it's alright," she assured him. "It just brought back a few bad memories, that's all." If that wasn't the biggest understatement of her life. More like horrible, gut-wrenching nightmares. She walked past Krillin back to the other room, determined not to alienate herself further.

(~*~)

       He watched silently as his mother dried her face, he always hated seeing her cry. She spoke briefly to Krillin and walked out of the room. 

       Shaking his head in wonder at her bravery, he shrugged to Krillin, who gave him a cluless look. trunks walked back into the adjoining room and stood against the wall near Pan, who was nibbling away at a salad. She gave him a concerned look.

       "Is your Kaasan okay?" Her voice drifted to him melodically. She had such a wonderful voice, and he wondered fleetingly if he could get her to sing some time.

       "She'll be fine. Sometimes her cicumstances just get the best of her." He looked down, not for the first time wishing that his idea for the time machine was possible. He bitterly pushed the thought away, attempting to resign himself to what fate had dealt him. He started when her fingers laced with his. He glanced up at her, unsure. She gave him a smile and a peck on the cheek. His skin burned at the point of contact while small shivers traced their way up his arm.

       He looked over to the couch that held his alternate sister and best friend. 

       "What's up with Goten and Bra? Have they been going out for a while?" He asked curiously.

       "I don't think they've ever 'gone out'." Pan replied. "After Trunks died Goten filled that big brother role, while I was the sparring partner, punching bag, best friend, what ever. They've always been really close though, and I guess they finally broke free of their sibling-like relationship." 

       He nodded silently, his eyes wandering back to the beauty seated next to him. Her raven black hair was swept behind her ear, allowing him to see her eyes, sparkling in the soft light of the room. Her resemblance to Gohan was apparent, even if no one else seemed to think it was so. Of course, he had been very close to Gohan, and therefore noticed more her personality similarities than her physical appearance.

       He glanced at his alternate parents, who were still snuggling. No one dared go near for any semblance of conversation, though Bulma was the assumed host, and the party in her honor(sort of). Trunks was speaking to the girl he had learned was Marron, with Krillin nearby watching suspiciously. trunks smiled mentally as he figured out that Trunks had been known for a ladies man in his earlier, living, years. As if he would be around long enough to become attached to a girl anyhow. It just went to show how unreasonable parents could be.

**AN: I hate to skip a bunch of stuff, but this party is really not a major part of the plot, except Bra getting her tail back, and that really didn't involve the party. So, "We'll fast forward to a few years later" Well, not really, just another hour or so. *grins* hehe, Alanis Morisette _good_.**

****

(~*~)

       Bra opened her eyes slowly, finding herself still leaning on her mate, tail wrapped tightly around his leg. She stretched lethargically and yawned, deciding she needed to brush her teeth, judging by the awful taste in her mouth. He stirred softly and looked around, his eyes glazed from sleep. She followed his gaze to the door, which everyone who wasn't a Briefs was leaving through. Pan stuck around, still chatting with trunks, probably waiting for her uncle. Trunks was snoring away in the lazy boy across the room.

       Standing up slowly, Bra marveled at the fact that she felt pretty normal, except for being a little off balance anyway. Goten's headache was near gone, and he followed her to an upright position. 

       The front door closed, and Bra sighed in exasperation at the sight of her parents making out like teenagers against it. 

       "Get a room." she grumbled, earning her an evil glare from her father.

       "We _have_ a room, which we will utilize if we so wish." He retorted snidely, gathering his mate into his arms and moving upstairs. 

       Bra staggered her way to the near-demolished table of food. She picked a little at what was left before deciding to just make a real meal. She didn't bother asking Goten, as she could sense his stomach growling already, once again echoing the feeling back and forth until both were simply _starving_. 

       They raced as one to the kitchen in a flash, gathering ingredients faster than the human eye sould see. Bra shared her list of foods needed with Goten, who more than knew his way around her kitchen. She had a huge meal laid out in record time, and they began devouring the food at an alarming rate. Pan and trunks entered the room to gawk, before walking right back out, thouroughly disgusted. 

       Satisfied with the nourishment now in her belly, Bra proceeded outside, informing Goten of her intention to collect her father's scouter. He in turn informed his niece, and took off after his mate.

       She felt an arm slither around her waist, as Goten pulled her tight against himself. She could feel his breath against her ear as he put on the speed, able to go only slightly faster than Bra herself. She lay her head back on his shoulder, as she was still rather tired. Neither felt the need to speak, and so remained silent, watching the sun set as they flew over the glistening ocean. (AN: I know, how typical is that? Flying over the ocean and all. I mean come on, most of the planet surface is water! Why am I even bringing this up? Like it matters! I'm like seriously sleep deprived…)

***

Well, I know, short chapter. Gomen nasai minna! I just can't stand writing meaningless fluff. The chapter started off great, but it was all downhill from there… Please forgive me! It's short, but if I don't post it soon I will get bored with the story, lack of reviews, blah blah blah…

     Speaking of which, I have decided not to hold it against y'all the lack of reviews for chapter 10. It was really cursed ff.net's fault anyhow. They took forever to put my fic near the top of the list, and when they did, it was already down to 80 or something retarded like that.  So, I will forgive you this once, and you can make it up to me by reviewing lots!! Because I really love reviews! They're like a narcotic…

    Actually I shouldn't say that, because I've never tried any form of narcotic, and thusly wouldn't know much about the matter. 

    So, review! Please! 


	12. TCtF Chapter 12

I hope I didn't scare anyone too badly with my empty threats last chapter, I was just, um, psychotic is the only word that comes to mind. Maniacal is another… Poor Rae had a couple heart attacks. BTW, Go read her review last chapter, it's funny as hell!

I'm not in a particularly hyper, psycho, anything mood now, so count yourselves lucky. Unless incoherent is one of those sorts of moods…

MistressAlexa: Um, thanks for the idea, but I'm afraid it's too late to take your advice though. Confusing as my method may be, it would only confuse people more to change it now. If I ever write another fic with this same problem, I really ought to put a little more effort into making myself clear! But, thanks for the advice! ^.^

Disclaimer: Um, um, I can't think of anything to type here. Don't own DBZ. Yeah, that's a shocker. I do own the entire Dragon Ball/Z manga set. It makes me happy ^__^

(~*~)

Vegeta nuzzled Bulma's cheek and she sighed contentedly, her small hand stroking his temple. He delighted in the feel of her, all over him, even in his mind. He could sense her every emotion, thought, even physically felt what she felt, though to a slightly lesser degree. Ever since their bonding it had been all too easy to figure out how she enjoyed being touched or spoken to. Although she didn't know enough about telepathy to control how much he felt or heard, he didn't care. He had full access to every part of her this way. 

She was obviously happy at the moment, and it caused her mind to drift towards her hopes for the future, her hopes of changing this present. He smirked as she continued with the thought process, how she wanted to hide her plans to protect him. However, his early warning system failed to alert him when she leaned forward to catch his mouth in another kiss, what had to be the hundredth time that evening.

He focused on what was going through her mind, and found only swirling thoughts about that 'accursed sexy smirk' of his. Mentally smirking now, he rolled on top of her, moving his mouth to kiss her ear. 

"Shall we?" He purred, receiving a nod of ready approval. He growled in return.

Perhaps they could get in some extra time. Surely that witch Baba would be too modest to summon his mate when she was _busy_. Of course, if she was the sister of that old pervert…

(~*~) AN:I couldn't really focus on one person's POV for this part, so let's just say I'm writing it in omnipresent third person. Yeah.

"What's taking them so long?" Pan wondered, referring to Bra and her uncle, who had left for 'Vegeta Island' over an hour ago. Obviously, the island had earned it's name from it's main occupant, but those who knew it's name(the Z senshi to be specific) had learned not to speak the forbidden title in front of Vegeta himself, on pain of death. Or at least a good maiming.

trunks, who was busy trying to shift the dead weight of his counterpart, shrugged, trying not to let his mind wander. After all, what could a bonded-but-never-mated couple _possibly_ be doing alone together on a tropical island? He sighed in exasperation when Trunks continued to snore loudly. Resisting the urge to kick the younger man, he joined Pan at the window. He had a hard time focusing on the outside world though, with her sweet scent filling his nostrils, making him lightheaded.

He closed his eyes against the rush of feeling sent up his arm when she took his hand into hers. What was wrong with him? He'd barely even known this girl twelve hours, been aware of her existence for only about twenty-four. How could she be affecting him this deeply? And what kind of relationship did they even have? They certainly weren't just acquaintances. Friends, then? Of course, he could always just ask…

"Pan-san, would you say we're friends? Just out of curiosity." She seemed intrigued by his question, and just a little suspicious.

"I think so," she answered quietly, and he nodded in agreement.

"Aside from the people in your timeline, I've only ever had one real friend," she gave him a questioning look, willing him to continue. He smirked. "Gohan." He stated simply. She squeezed his hand tighter. 

"Why didn't you have any other friends?" She questioned further.

"I never really went to school, and it wasn't like I could just go outside and play. Too dangerous. And I don't know about here, but our families never really socialized with 'normal people'."

"How do you define a normal person?"

"Someone who can't fly, or shoot energy blasts from their hands, or turn their hair instantly gold, with turquoise eyes. Oh, and they can't be the least bit alien. I don't know how they define 'normal' amongst themselves, but if they can't do any of the above, they're normal in my opinion."

She laughed, causing him to smirk again, which only made her blush. He looked so hot when he looked at her that way. It made him look like his father. She decided to change the subject back, still curious about what her alternate father had been like.

"Would you tell me what my dad was like? In your time I mean." He grew solemn, a thoughtful look on his face.

"I guess he was a lot like Goku. He even took to wearing the same outfit. He was so worried about everyone else's safety, that he took stupid risks. Brave, but still stupid. He gave me the last senzu after one fight, and he lost his arm because of it. He kept training me after that, but they attacked again, and he went off alone. I mentioned him taking stupid risks, right? Well, that was the last one he took. And although he made choices that I disagreed with, I know they were right. I would like to think I would have chosen the same path, had it been me." He looked like he wanted to say more, but it was obviously a touchy subject, and he simply stared out the window dejectedly. She had only ever seen more pain in Vegeta's eyes, the day Bra took control of CC, and he saw her tinkering in the lab, grease-stained and loving it. His eyes had been so haunted, and yet proud, incredibly proud.

Pan could _almost_ see the words 'HUG ME' written on his face, and visible or not, she followed the directions. Wrapping her arms around him, she leaned her head in his shoulder and stroked his back softly. He stiffened in surprise, before encircling her waist with well-muscled arms.

"Your turn now," he murmured. "What's _your_ father like? Before yesterday, the last time I saw him was when he beat Cell." She looked amused suddenly, and he waited patiently for an explanation.

"Let's see…Not too long after that, my Uncle was born. Then my Touchan went to High School in the city, where he met my Kaasan. They fought crime together for awhile," her smile broadened as she fished in her pocket and brought out a wallet. She unveiled a picture of The Great Saiyaman, in one of his trademark, dorky poses. trunks snorted. "No one ever suspected him of being Saiyaman. He was the pale scrawny bookworm country bumpkin, not a superhero. He and the renowned Videl Satan kept the city safe, and he taught her how to fly, sense ki, the basics. She never knew how weird we were until the Tournament, and Buu, but that's a _long_ story I don't really want to tell right now. Anyhow, Ojiisan got credit for Buu, just like Cell. But he's still a nice guy, and our families have gotten along well, despite our _differences_."

trunks now looked extremely confused.

"But Goku didn't get credit for Cell. That nincompoop Hercule did. Boy was he a piece of work." She flipped a few pages in her wallet, displaying a man with an afro(though his hairline was receding) and a beard. She giggled.

"Like I said, _Ojiisan_ took credit. My Touchan married his daughter. My Obaasan died when my Kaasan was little. That might have something to do with why my mother took such good care of Bra when she was at our house. She knew what it was like to have only your father, and she treated Bra like another daughter. Anyhow, Touchan is a scholar now, and he is a college professor. Chi-chi Obaachan couldn't be happier with him, I think. Uncle Goten, on the other hand…" She shook her head in amusement, and realized that she was still clinging to trunks. She laid her head back on his chest, eyes closing voluntarily.

Trunks, still snoring, let out a loud snort before falling out of the chair with a loud _thump_. The demi-Saiyajin by the window disentangled themselves in a flash, if somewhat regretfully. Both turned to confront their sleepy companion, who was only now sitting up. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, tail curled into a question mark, and legs thrust out in front of him. He allowed his hands to fall into his lap, looking at them with wide, almost crossed blue eyes. trunks was eerily reminded of a _much_ younger version of himself. Although that one had quite a bit more baby pudge, and no halo. Trunks blinked a few times, coherency slowly returning.

"Where'd everybody go?" He questioned from his postion on the floor. Vegeta burst into the room, cold fury reflected in his eyes. All three looked at him in astonishment, and some fear. He focused on no one currently in the room, only stared fixedly at the door. 

Goten and Bra made their entrance, and Vegeta was across the room in the blink of an eye. He lifted Bra's chin to examine her neck, which sported a small, half-healed wound. His eyes narrowed and flashed teal for a moment, and he emitted a growl from deep in his throat.

(~*~) AN: Beji is seriously considering making this a really wicked cliffhanger…I think so…no! Yes…um, I guess not, this chapter would be _way_ too short if I did. I'm sure I can still figure out a good cliffy for the end though…

Taking a deep breath to calm and clear his mind, Vegeta, still looking his daughter in the eye, shot his fist out, catching Goten right in the nose. He listened with satisfaction as the boy's body slammed through the wall and left a deep rut in the lawn. Bra winced and jerked back, her hand flying to her face in pain.

"Touchan!" She managed. "You of all people knew it was inevitable. We were already bonded, it was only a matter of time before the process was finished!"

"Relax girl, I just wanted one shot at him. I'm done now. I just wanted him to realize wh—"

"Who he would have to deal with if he ever even _considered_ hurting me. We all know that! Would you ever have considered hurting kaasan like that? No! Because you _love_ her, not just because she's your mate." She glared at him. He looked taken aback, never having thought of it that way. Unable to find any a good comeback, he remained silent while she rushed over to Goten, who was covering his bloodied nose with his hand. (AN: The way Videl looked when Spopovitch was kicking the crap out of her.)

Never having felt quite so stupid for overlooking the obvious, Vegeta made his way slowly back up the stairs. She was right, really, and he had never handled being proven wrong very well. But he couldn't handle being wrong _and_ apologizing. While he had grown incredibly soft, at least when it came to Bra, that sacrifice was larger than he could stand making. Admitting his mistake, and actually making it known that he regretted it, just because someone had been _offended_. 

He entered the master bedroom silently, shutting the door softly behind him. Bulma lay curled up on the bed, facing _his_ side of the mattress, clutching a large wad of sheets to her small form. 

No, there was no possibility of his hurting her intentionally. He _had_ assumed too much. But what was done was done, and a mere three hours remained. 

He proceeded to his side of the bed, his eyes never leaving his sleeping mate. Pulling the sheets out of Bulma's arms, which her subconcious mind had mistaken for her mate, he lay down beside her, pulling her close. She murmured sleepily and moved to rest on top of his warm chest, one hand stroking the hollow of his throat. Shuddering in spite of himself, Vegeta rubbed her back softly, breathing deeply of her scent. He prayed to whatever deity would listen, wishing beyond all things that he could keep her through the night.

***

I know I know, short chapter. Do tell: Would you prefer a long chapter, less frequently? Or perhaps a short chapter, more often. This is my survey this week, so let me know what you, the consumer, would prefer.

I have surpassed 40 reviews!!! Please please PLEASE please please!!!! REVIEW! For the love of my sanity…well, that's non-existent…for the love of this fic, review!! I will grovel, and beg and plead, because reviews really motivate me to write. Who knows? If' y'all review enough, maybe I'll give you a long AND more frequent chapter. The ball is in your court now…


	13. TCtF Chapter 13

     I think my update alerts are helping a bit in the review department. And just because I tell you I've updated, doesn't mean you get to skip out on reviewing! Emailing me or leaving a review is the only way I even know that y'all are reading my fic! It's very encouraging to know that people actually take time out of their lives to read my mindless DBZ-centered ramblings.

     So, yeah. I'm hyper now, mostly because I got the MOULIN ROUGE SOUNDTRACK TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh _yeah _baby!! Ewan McGregor…*drools*  ^__~ Which I am listening to as I write…

      I'm fighting it y'all, but it's so hard not to give in…Once I'm done I want to rewrite the fic in first person, as I can put a lot more character development into it. I _really_ want to just launch into first person, but for the sake of continuity, I guess I'll wait. Lemme know if anyone would _possibly_ be interested in  the change of POV, eventually. It would also give me a chance to revamp the bits in this story that royally suck…

      Non-disclaimer: I am not disclaiming this fic, because it is _mine_, a product of my creativity, and whether or not I created all of the characters, all were based upon how _I_ viewed the character. And seeing as I do have to figure out how they react in a situation that _I_ have never seen them in, it is purely my imagination which weaves these character's individual personalities. It's **_my_** fic, and this is my last _dis_claimer.

(~*~)

       "Well that went well," Goten stated sardonically, pinching the bridge of his nose to stop the blood flow. One would think there would be some wort of hinge in there now, if you considered for a moment how many times his _best friend_ had broken his nose. Not to say he had never broken Trunks' nose. The guy just fought so _dirty_, not groin shots or anything, but he had his father's win-or-bust, survivor kind of style. Which translated to Trunks' winning a lot of matches, seeing as Goten was always the _good guy_. Funny how their sparring matches reflected those of the older generation. (AN: i.e. Goku Vegeta sparring, except Trunks won more, yeah.)

       Bra stood at the sink, rinsing out a bloodied cloth in steamy water before handing it back to her mate with a small smile. "I look forward to repeating that," she informed him, smiling coyly, blue eyes reflecting inner heat. He felt like taking her back somewhere private, and repeating it a few _hundred_ times more.

       "Repeating what? My getting my nose bloodied by your Otousan?" He tried to feign innocence, but still managed to look like he would rather be someplace more…cozy, leaving him with a rather strange look on his face.

(NO!!!! My last Thin Mint!!!!! Oh the humanity!!!! *sobs brokenly…*)

       She rolled her eyes, punching him lightly in the chest.

       "Oh, now you're going to beat me up too? Well, better you than Vegeta I suppose. Go ahead, lay it on baby," he spread his arms wide, eyes closed. He grunted as Bra tackled him full force, lips pressed against his and arms almost in a chokehold around his neck. His arms encircled her waist in return as his back thudded into contact with cool linoleum.

       "Oh, Kami! Get a room would you? It's _your _freakin' house!" Goten opened his eyes and pulled his face away from that of his blue-eyed goddess, to glare at Trunks. He was vaguely aware of her satisfaction in embarassing her older sibling. 

       "B-chan, B-chan, B-chan…" he chided. "I'm not embarrassed. A little nauseous, surprised, close to vomiting, yes, but _not_ embarassed. You forget that I spent the first, sorry, _only_ fifteen years of my life with _both_ of our parents. I quickly grew accustomed to seeing them either fighting, or making out like there was no tomorrow and trying to get to their room as fast as possible without actually going through walls." She gave him a shocked, befuddled glance, sitting up to take a seat on Goten's stomach.

       "How'd you know that I thought you were embarassed?" She questioned.

       "There is a bond even between siblings, much like the one between Tousan and the two of us. And, I know as much about telepathy as you. For a bunch of blood thirsty warriors who refused to display emotion, the Saiyajin sure had a lot of family ties." She nodded agreement, expression thoughtful. 

       "It's good you, uh, interrupted us, since I wanna spend some time with you anyways before you go. Wanna spar?" She questioned hopefully, curious as to whether or not he had learned anything really nifty in the other world. Goten watched with some amusement as her tail jerked back and forth in excitement. He reached out tentatively and ever so gently stroked the furry appendage from base to tip. She arched her back, eyes closing immediately, and growled softly, almost a purr. Glancing at his oldest friend, Goten gave him a puzzled look.

       "What'd I do?" He inquired. Trunks merely stared at him in shock, before finally finding his voice.

       "You mean you just spent like _three_ hours with her, and you never once touched her tail?!" He took a hold of his own tail, "I'm gonna go back in the other room now, just, be careful. It doesn't take much." Finding himself to be even more confused than before, Goten looked back at Bra, who was only now recovering. She had opened her eyes, and was breathing calmly, if a little raggedly.

       He laid his hand on her hip, slowly moving it towards her lower back to gently massage the base of her tail. She inhaled sharply, reluctantly removed his hand from her tail, kissed him once, and stood up. 

       "I really need to spend time with my brother, love. Besides, I don't _really_ think you want to do that on the kitchen floor. I certainly don't. We can explore later." He stared after her retreating form for a moment without really seeing her. He put two and two together, as Trunks cryptic message unraveled in his mind. He had thought touching her tail had simply been like a good back massage, after all, it was a part of her spine. But it had never occurred to him that it made her feel like… _that. _No wonder she had reacted so…nicely.

(~*~)

       "So how 'bout that spar, Niichan? I bet I can kick your sorry ass from here to tomorrow in like, two minutes," she smirked at him, using her favorite line(which almost always worked on their father) to try and goad a spar out of him. He smirked coldy at her in return and lead the way outside. 

       "Fifteen years ago you would have been in your room playing with Barbies or makeup. Tousan and Kaasan even had one of their fights about whether he could train you or not. Kaasan won, but her victory was, shall we say, short-lived." She nodded grimly, sliding easily into a fighting stance.

(AN:Hmmm… I don't know if I'm gonna be that great with fighting scenes, but I do want them to get in some good dialogue…I guess I'll give it a whack! Sorry if the sparring _really_ sucks, just focus on the speech.)

       He copied her stance, and then stood up straight again, only now really analyzing her choice in clothing, which he assumed to be her training outfit. She had on a dark blue sports bra and and matching pants, leaving her well-toned midriff open. Pristine white boots and leather gloves made him chuckle. 

       "What?" She questioned, examining herself self-consciously.

       "'Tousan chose your gear didn't he." Trunks snorted when she shook her head.

       "No, but I like the color scheme," she flashed a wicked smile his way. "And if you happen to be laughing at my gloves, quit. Have you ever felt Touchan's hands compared to Goku-san's? They're soft as anything, as are mine. You should probably consider wearing gloves, too." She shifted back into a near crouch, and he followed suit.

       "If you aren't a Daddy's girl, I don't know what is."

       "Mama's boy," Bra spat waspishly, shooting towards her brother. When she was near he put up his guard against her oncoming fist, only to feel a sharp elbow grind into his spine. He turned around swiftly, only to be caught in the back again, this time by a hard roundhouse. The blow sent him flying forward, and his course was swiftly redirected when Bra put a knee into his gut. She pulled back to wait while he nearly coughed up a lung, her boot tapping impatiently.

       "Is that as fast as you move? You're a Super Saiyajin, show me," she demanded. 

       "I don't think—"

       "We'll go further from the house. And I have a watch, so we won't lose track of time." He looked her over again, somewhat curious as to the location of her watch. He voiced his query as they flew towards the barren rocky desert, pockmarked with craters from the many previous matches.

       "It's right here," she explained, pointing a gloved finger to her right eye. "It's kind of like a contact lense, only thinner. You simply squeeze your eye shut, and you can see the time on a digital display, any color you want."

       "I suppose you made it too?" He asked, sarcasm slightly tinting his words.

       "Actually, yes. I also revamped the whole capsule market, they're all about the size of an aspirin now, and they store more."

       "I'm impressed," he admitted. "It seems like you're doing a great job carrying on both family businesses." She nodded reluctantly.

       "It would be a whole lot easier if you were here to take your share of the load." She grumbled under her breath.

       "Well I suppose that can't really be helped, can it?" He replied, a sad tinge darkening his blue eyes. They landed on the hard-packed soil. "You sure you wanna fight like this?" He had to be sure that he wouldn't hurt her, or there would be hell to pay. (AN: Eek! My first power-up on it's way! ^_^;;)

       She widened her stance and something in the distance rumbled threateningly. Pebbles resting on the ground began to quiver, making a familiar clicking, stirring sound. He narrowed his eyes to protect them from the now swirling dust particles, noting how quickly her ki was rising. Incredibly quickly. 

       Bra's bright blue eyes shifted to a gleaming turqoise, and her short hair stirred upwards, forming short golden spikes. Her tail, wrapped protectively about her slim waist, changed to match the hair on her head. 

       The quaking beneath his feet slowed, eventually stopping altogether, aside from a barely perceptible vibrating, only to begin again when he powered up to her level. Which was shockingly close to his maximum.

       "Is that as high as you go?" He asked, mentally kicking himself when he worded it like a challenge. She smirked.

       "No, but I wouldn't want to hurt my dear Niichan." She grinned wickedly. He almost shivered. So this was what happened when 'Tousan was left to raise a child on his own. 

(~*~)AN: I feel like I'm making Bra sorta schizophrenic. She's all hugging and sweet one minute and the next smirking and grinning evilly and stuff. Is she schizo? Or just a complex character(wouldn't that be nice!)? Lemme know(in a nice way) in your REVIEW. (Hint, hint, wink, wink.) 

       _Why on Chikyuu do I feel as though I would be happy to just hug him like this forever?_ Pan questioned herself, horribly confused. She didn't even know this guy! And here she was watching the sun set on the horizon, nestled warmly in his embrace.

       "Him? Who him? _Me_ him?" trunks voice invaded her thoughts, pulling her quickly out of her man-induced stupor.

       "What are you talking about?" She murmured somewhat incoherently, tilting her head up to look at him. Confusion painted his features.

       "I didn't say anything. I was just thinking over whatever you were mumbling about." She looked down, deep in thought.

       "But I didn't say…anything…either." She glanced up at him in near-horror, pulling away quickly. 

       "No way!" She cried, voice panic-stricken. "It can't…not so soon! I've barely known you a day, and already we may have…" she cut off, refusing to admit what she knew to be true. She closed her eyes, but found that it was impossible to block out his confusion, his thoughts, anything. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, this was impossible! You only bonded with someone you knew, you loved, that was a match for you in every way. Goten and Bra was one thing, they had known each other their whole lives! But this. This was just insane.

       She allowed some of these thoughts to filter through to him, hoping they would alleviate his confusion without her having to explain.

       She was trapped. Eternally bound to this quiet man, of whom she knew little more than that he was from the future, hated some androids, never knew his father, and had been close to hers. What if he had pent-up anger, and beat her regularly? If he was too attached to his mother to care fully for her? Or perhaps he could never bring himself to love her at all! He had just been nice to her today so he could get her in bed later. 

       He touched her cheek softly, tracing her jawline with a finger. She could feel the heat from his body, standing so close to her. Too close. She started to move away when a gentle hand caught her shoulder, holding her with that small touch as easily as an iron shackle. Yes, he must be using her.

       "I wouldn't do that to you, Pan. We'll figure this out, ok? Just calm down." He tipped her chin upwards with forefinger and thumb, and her midnight eyes stared into his blue uncertainly. He gently pulled her into another hug, waiting patiently till she relaxed. She buried her face against his chest, letting his warmth relax her. Oh yeah, this wasn't too bad. It might take a little getting used to but…NO! She still had no idea who this man was, and she intended to find out before…before what? He left? 

              Pan pushed away roughly, refusing to let her physical impulses influence her. If this was even going to work (which it wasn't) she needed to know more about him than the fact that he made a nice snuggle-toy. It couldn't work anyhow. How long would it be before he and his mother left? And what would that do to their bond? Would it just fade away? Or break? Or would they stay bonded, though parted by time, timelines, everything, unwilling to go on without the other, and unable to find someone new.

       All her dreams of living happily with her mate, having children and raising them _together_, all had just died a quick, less than painless death. Tears she was having great difficulty fighting welled in her eyes, threatening to fall with every blink of an eyelid. 

       "Pan, you're getting hysterical. You need to calm down, and we can talk about this. I know we can figure it out." He proceeded to sit on the couch, gesturing forcefully for her to seat herself. She obeyed and sat with her legs under her, leaning against the arm of the couch and as far from him as she could manage. Her eyes stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge his presence or the lone tear that slipped unbidden down a pale cheek.

       "I'm beginning to think that you don't even want to bother with trying to fix this. I think it would be easier to discuss it if you would quit ignoring me." 

       "Fix what?" bulma questioned from the doorway, looking questioningly at the two on the couch. trunks and Pan turned around to face his mother, silently duking it out as neither really wanted to explain their…situation. 

       "Now that's just childish!" trunks snapped, turning to face Pan, who was smiling triumphantly.

       "Oh, like you were being mature." She replied.

       "You've got room to talk, I'm not the one getting hysterical about it. You seem to think I know more about you than you know of me. I have all the same questions and worries."

       "Then why didn't you say anything?"

       "I didn't need to, you said it all."

       "Would someone please explain what you're talking about? And I'm sure your silly bickering isn't helping. trunks, I know you better, since that somehow seems to be an issue here, you will tell me what the hell is going on!!"

       "We're bonded," he stated bluntly.

       "You're what?"

       "Bonded! We're bonded for some reason, and we don't know why," looking stunned, bulma sat down heavily in the nearest chair. She glanced at trunks, and then Pan, back to trunks again, and lowered her eyes to the carpet. 

       "But how could you…"

       "Well there's the thought process of the day," Pan noted sarcastically, earning her an evil look from trunks.

       "trunks, where's your 'Tousan?" bulma queried softly, brow still furrowed in thought. He reached out to sense the older man's ki, and Pan felt her cheeks getting red in response to his embarrassment.

       "He's um, busy…right now," bulma simply nodded.

       "Good."  Arched eyebrow from the peanut gallery. "And I mean that on more than one level." She smiled evilly at her son's obvious discomfort. 

       She crossed the room to sit between her son and gohan's daughter.

       "trunks, we need to flesh out your ideas for the time machine, I think there might be a little more possibility than we thought."

***

     I have a new idea for a fic, woohoo! Hopefully one that I will follow through on. You'll know when it's posted to, because I will plug it shamelessly at every turn… ^_^

      I need like 10 reviews here y'all, cuz I got it out quick, _and_ long. *Pats herself on the back* yes, everyone may kneel before the almighty Beji…well, maybe NOT but I guess it would be ok if you just left me a big fat review instead!!

    Thank you! Love ya much!!!


	14. TCtF Chapter 14

       *Bows deeply*Thank you everyone who reviewed! My utmost gratitude! 50 reviews… Great googly moogly! -_-;; Way too much Nick Jr.

       Sorry about (M)Bulma's mysterious disappearance, she was, uh, taking a rest upstairs. After all, it was late at night, and she's getting old…

       And don't' forget to check out 'All in Me', my new fic!

(~*~)

       "I wonder what the kids are doing," Bulma voiced sleepily, glancing at the clock. A half hour. 

       "Sparring," Vegeta stated simply, rubbing her back softly.

       "So you trained her after all," he snorted in response.

       "What else could I teach her," he stated, voice abruptly turning solemn.

       "Then why is she running CC? Did Dad teach her?" He shook his head, mirth reflecting in his dark eyes.

       "No, you taught her all that," she looked at him quizzically. "All of your little notes to yourself, most of them were recorded on audio. I ended up listening to it all too, since I was forced to censor it for her six-year-old ears." His gaze was distant, and, pained. It must have been a bittersweet experience, judging by the look on his face. Or perhaps it was just bitter, as she had often vented _all_ of her feelings into that little microphone. 

       "Gomen nasai," she whispered, kissing his forehead gently. "I know I said a lot of things I shouldn't have." He kissed her nose, then leaned his forehead against hers with his eyes closed. She wondered not for the first time if perhaps coming back wasn't such a bright idea. She doubted he would be any better off than before. They lay in comfortable silence, Bulma nestled warmly in her mates gentle embrace.

       "Don't leave me," Vegeta whispered, desperation clear in his voice. His arms tightened around her, as though to stop her from escaping. She felt tears gathering in her eyes, cursing herself for bringing this pain upon him.

       "Oh Kami, Vegeta, I want to stay with all my heart. I'm sorry I came. It only makes it worse for you and Bra." She squirmed closer to him, burying her face in his neck as she cried. Self-hate welled at the feel of him shaking with his own silent tears. 

       Her sobs slowed to a frequent sniffle, and she took time to shower kisses on his now tear-streaked face, his eyes still clenched shut. It broke her heart to see him reduced to such a state, and to know that she caused it was almost unbearable. 

       He brought his lips to hers, kissing her passionately, pouring all his need, sorrow, everything into it. The one-way wall he usually erected in their bond was lowered, and she felt all his thoughts and emotions wash into her, all of _him_. She rejoiced in the feel of having one mind, almost literally one being.

       She reluctantly pulled away after an eternity, gasping for air to relieve her oxygen-deprived lungs. A loud tapping came from the window, and they heaved a collective sigh at the rough voice that reached their ears. 

       "It is time, Bulma Briefs," the old witch intoned, her vioce muffled by the closed window. Stifling another sob, Bulma rose off the bed and stumbled to the dresser, digging through haphazardly for some clothing. It was too soon, but she knew that forever would be too soon, so there could be no fighting it. Stabs of sorrow assaulted her mate, who was also getting dressed. 

       Bulma tripped in the dark, barely catching herself before looking back at the offending obstruction. A small pile of blankets lay on the floor at the foot of the bed, shaped into a pallet. 

       "What's this Vegeta?" She questioned her mate, who was slipping into a pair of jeans. 

       "It _was_ Bra's bed, before we left."

       "Well why wasn't she in her own bed?"

       "She had a few bad dreams, and wanted to be nearby."

       "Oh."

       Having finished drssing in silence, the two walked solemnly onto the balcony, where Baba and their children awaited. Both were bloodied and dirty, and looking just as down as their elders. 

       Bra and Trunks hugged, and she looked about ready to cry. She released her brother, scowling and wiping away stray tears with her mud-encrusted forearm. Bulma walked over to stand by Bra, and both paused to watch the two men confront each other. Both stared at the other, unmoving.

       Vegeta stuck out a hand, and Trunks took it warily, and his eyes widened as his father pulled him into a one armed hug. Bulma knew the kid was about ready to cry and grin like a loon all at once. The hug was short-lived, so as to make it at least a little more manly.

       "That's twice," Vegeta stated simply, and Bra and Bulma gave each other confused glances. Trunks merely nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Shrugging once, Bulma turned to hug her daughter.

       "Gomen nasai, Bra-chan. I barely spent any time with you today." She sniffled, trying hard not to cry.

       "It's okay Kaachan. Touchan needed your attention more than I did. Don't give me that look Touchan, you know I'm right. Hell, we all know I'm right." She squeezed her mother once, kissed her cheek, and backed away. Tugging on her brother's sleeve, they took off away from the house, dragging Baba with them. Bulma spoke first.

       "I guess this is where we say goodbye."

***

Yeah, REALLY SHORT chapter. Gomen nasai, minna!! But I HAD to end the chapter there. Seeing as I have a lot of free time this weekend, Chapter 15 will be up fairly soon, extra long! Say, 4,500 words? Agreed?

 Big stuff is on the horizon…

REVIEW!!!! That is all I will say!!!! REVIEEEEEEEW!!!! Pwease? 0_0 *makes puppy dog eyes* And go check out my new fic, All in Me, while you're here!!! Thank you! ^_^


	15. TCtF Chapter 15

Sorry about the evil cliffy! Well, not really, but I just couldn't resist. ^_^  I'm glad that you liked it. But as I promised, I am going to give you an extra long chapter to make up for it…I'll try to get it out quickly! But I refuse to sacrifice quality for swiftness.

    If you feel I'm getting a tad OOC with Vege-chan*shudders*, don't worry, cuz I feel it too. But we must remember that he has suffered a lot, and learned a bit too, and he's better off for it. So, he's older and wiser, we'll put it that way. I also threw in a few song lyrics that I like and that fit with the story line. I really need to cut down on these Author's Notes, they're getting long…

****

Last time…

       Bulma spoke first.

       "I guess this is where we say goodbye."

(~*~)

       He simply grunted, watching her like a hawk from the other side of the balcony. Already he could feel the widening gap between them, as she tried her best not to cause any hurt.

       "You need to stop blaming yourself," he advised, taking two steps in her direction.

       "That's what your son keeps telling me," she replied, closing the distance 'til they were a mere hairs-breadth apart. He looked deeply in her eyes, softly reflecting the starlight, trying to tell her all was forgiven, that he never blamed her in the first place. She seemed to understand, and leaned her head on his chest. Instinctively curling arms around her waist, he buried his face in her soft teal hair, inhaling her scent deeply.

       "You let Bra know before you have your final bout with Goku, alright? I'm pretty sure she already suspects you of doing something like that, but she should be prepared, ne?" He blinked in surprise, had he been that see through? But then, Bra had always been perceptive, and it was only partly from her father's side, he knew. 

       They stayed like that till Baba returned, sharing thoughts with each other, neither making a sound or moving. At Baba's urging Bulma started to move away, and Vegeta pulled her back for one last heart-breaking kiss. When he released her he took two large steps away, hands clenched tightly by his sides.

       She brushed away tears, trying hard to smile. He looked on in shock as she took flight, her small ki rising noticeably. 

       He watched until they dissapeared again, and remained unmoving until he felt it. Bra now had her eyes focused on him, as he tried to keep the pained expression off his face. He sensed Bulma's ki blink out of existence, and a sharp pain stabbed through his chest, rendering him breathless. Instead of fading, it grew in intensity, till he was gasping, shaking softly with eyes shut tightly. The very ground beneath him went for a spin, and he fell to hands and knees, fingers digging deep trenches in the concrete. He tried to block her image from his mind, focus on Bra kneeling beside him, but it was all but impossible.

(~*~)

       If this scene wasn't familiar, then Bra was losing her memory. Vegeta was on the ground, muttering under his breath, hands slowly digging deeper through the balcony. She felt gut-wrenching sorrow, almost excruciating pain echoing from him, and there wasn't a thing that she could do to ease his pain. Well, there was one thing she could do, but she figured he would want to at least see his first grandchild before he…left.

       She could already feel the life inside of her, and she wondered idly how Saiyajin the child would be. Both parents being half-Saiyajin, the child could be anything from all human to pure Saiyajin.

       She touched her Touchan's shoulder comfortingly, quickly jerking her hand away when he pulled away, groaning in pain. What on chikyuu could she do for this? Was he just upset? Or did this have to do with his bond to her mother? She supposed it was broken now, and he had told her before that it was one of the greatest pains a Saiyajin could ever face. She could hear him near chanting under his breath.

       "Bulma…Ai shiteru, ai shiteru, gomen nasai, ai shiteru…" So, he hadn't told her after all. Bra would have to be deaf not have heard him say that every night, when he thought she was asleep.

       She made her way quickly to her lab, worry etched deeply into her features. She grabbed a bottle of some strong sedative and a syringe. Rushing quickly to the balcony again, she found him in the same position, crouched over, sweat nearly pouring from his pain-wracked body. She filled the needle with enough tranquilizer to put him out for the night, without being hung over come morning. He failed to react to the small prick of the needle, and within moments he slumped to the cold ground, still breathing heavily. 

       After carrying his prone form inside to his bed and laying the sleeping man down, Bra staggered downstairs to the living room, collapsing heavily onto one of the couchs. She lay there, unmindful of the mess she was making of the couch, and the four other occupants of the room, who were staring at her uncertainly. 

       She felt Goten sit on the edge of the sofa, and he rested one hand on her stomach and the other stroked her hair. Her upper half was lifted gently as he scooted back against the cushions to lay her head in his lap.

       She drifted off to sleep while attempting to monitor her father's ki.

(~*~)(Since B&T have departed, Future Bulma and Trunks will get their capital letters back ^_^  I'll let you know when you're reading about the dead ones. Ay yi yi! I'm confusing myself you know, but y'all are smart enough to figure it out!)

       Trunks laid his head back on his arms, leaning back far enough to examine the ceiling. He had just about given up on finding the right woman, and suddenly his subconcious was making all the life-changing decisions for him, bonding him with a girl he had known only a day. He really wouldn't mind so much, if it weren't for the fact that she was from a different timeline. Now he was torn, between eternal unhappiness, and, well, eternal unhappiness.

       He tried not to get his hopes up about the time machine. True, it most likely presented a way out of their 'predicament', and it would solve two dozen other problems, but they had been giving their all for that damn machine for fifteen years at least, and he naturally had his doubts. The only thing they had left to do was wait. Goku would go for a visit, take them to Supreme Kai, and see how high they could go from there. He assumed that they were to keep the plan from Goten and Bra, and Vegeta of course. 

       He knew that he drifted off for a while, and when he woke up, the sun was shining brightly in his eyes, and he and Pan were the only two in the room. In the house for that matter. Aside from Vegeta. A piece of yellow note paper was laying on his chest.

_Goten, Bra and I are going to the hospital_

_to get Bra fixed up, and then we're heading _

_across town to pick up breakfast for everyone. _

_See you soon._

_Love,_

_Kaasan_

       He scooted closer to Pan to avoid the sunlight, and she murmured in her sleep and turned to curl up against his arm, shivering slightly. He put his arm around her shoulders to spread his body heat a little and went back to sleep.

(~*~)

       **_I tried so hard, and got so far,_**

**_       but in the end, it doesn't even matter_**

(~*~)

       She was laying on something. Someone. Warm and firm, so comfortable… Pan's eyes shot open. Trunks arms were wrapped firmly around her, and she was laying on him, still on the couch. Oh kami, how in the heck… She tried to get up, get off of him, onto the floor, anywhere. But, he was warm, and so comfy… 

       The phone rang loudly, and she pulled away, staggering over to the phone. She picked up a piece of paper on the floor on the way and read the note quickly.

       "Moshi moshi?" She answered dully, rubbing a hand over her eyes.

       "Briefs-san?" A deep male voice responded.

       "This is a friend of the family, they aren't available at the moment." 

       "Can I get your name ma'am?"

       "Hai, Son Pan. Can I ask who this is?

       "I'm from the Satan city police department, ma'am. I'm afraid there's been an accident." Pan froze, unable to think.

       "Ma'am?" She shook her head, surely they were fine. Bulma was the only one she should be worried about.

       "I'm here," she stammered.

       "There's only one survivor." A lump formed quickly in her throat, as her mind played sick guessing games at who the unlucky two were.

       "Who, who survived?" She waited, wanting to scream at the man for taking so long in reply. Desperately cycling through the three names, she was unable to decide which one she would rather have still living.

       "Son Goten. Bulma and Bra Briefs died on impact. I'm sorry ma'am." She hung up the phone and stumbled back to the couch, sitting heavily. 

       Trunks jumped awake when she sat on his stomach, but judging by the shock on her face, he remained quiet. Oh Trunks, she thought, keeping it to herself, you didn't deserve this. And Vegeta. He was already a wreck from Bulma leaving, this, this would tear him to shreds. He stared at her questioningly, so naïve, ignorant. She bit her lip, tears forcing theit way down her face and looked away from him, unable to look into those clear blue eyes. How could she say it? 

       "Hey, what's wrong Pan-chan?" He asked, concern evident. She only cried harder, and he sat up so that she was sitting in his lap, with his arms around her comfortingly. 

       "Trunks, did you read that note?" She pointed to the yellow piece of paper. He nodded. "Well…They, they got into an accident. A really bad one. And…and…Your Kaasan, and Bra…they, didn't make it," she turned to cry into his chest. He straightened, sucking in deep breaths through clenched teeth. His mind was a whirlwind of memories, denial, anger, pain, sadness, love, too many emotions for her to pick out, and she wrapped her arms around his broad chest, trying vainly to bring comfort.

       She knew that he refused to cry, that perhaps sometime when he was alone, he would release the pent up emotion. 

       "We should go see Goten, I think," she managed to say, though her voice broke. He agreed mentally, and then disagreed. 

       "We can't just leave 'Tousan. This'll hit him pretty hard." He was ready to give up, she could tell, since life seemed intent on deealing his family harsh blows, then so be it.

       "But he needs to know, that there's hope. It's a win/win situation for him. If things don't work out with the time travel stuff, he can always just go and join them, I know that's what he's been planning. Bra told me." Heavy footsteps sounded upstairs, and both paused to listen as Vegeta came down the stairs stumblingly, by the sound of it.

       "Trunks, we need to think of something _fast_."  She voiced, urgency tinging her plea.

       "We'll tell him about Bra, and then about our plans. But we have to get through to him before he totally goes off the handle." Trunks shut his mouth quickly as his father walked through the room to the kitchen without a backward glance. His eyes looked almost dead, with only the faintest hint of life remaining in their black depths. He groggily downed a glass of water, unaware of the silent conversation between those seated on the couch.

       He returned to the living room and sat down in a chair, sighing loudly. He looked about ready to vomit, his eyes only showing pain. He continued to stare straight ahead for a moment before turning to the young couple nearby. 

       "Enjoying yourselves?" He asked sarcastically, eyeing the two. He focused on Pan's tear stained face and Trunks sad, pained look. 

       "Not really," they answered in unison, neither one batting an eye.

       "Tousan, there's something you need to know," Trunks began, trying hard not to falter. Vegeta simply looked at him, near-lifeless eyes staring into his own somewhat deadened gaze.

       "Goten, Bra and my Ka-Kaasan went out to get breakfast while we were all still asleep. They," he paused, searching for the strength to continue, the strength to stack on the straw that broke the camel's back. Taking a deep breath, he forged on.

       "They got into an accident, and Bra and my Kaasan didn't make it." She could hear the strain in his voice, caused by the lump she knew was residing in his throat. They waited nervously for his reaction, fearing the worst.

       The prince's eyes narrowed slightly, the pain that was visible in them increasing greatly. His hands, resting in his lap, were shaking, and his breath came in shallow gasps. He was murmuring to himself, and it wasn't difficult for the demi-Saiyajin to pick up on his words.

       "Kuso! Chikushou! Shimatta! Kuso! Chiku…" He continued ranting. 

       "Tousan!" Vegeta glared at Trunks, but bitter mirth overtook any malice in it. 

       "Damn cars…I really should just destroy them all!" He smirked then, forming a small ball of ki in one hand and looking at it closely. "Should have just destroyed them all in the first place," he muttered, looking peaceful as he inched the ball of white-hot energy closer to his chest.

       Trunks was at his side in a flash, knocking the ki ball out the window and shaking Vegeta roughly. He puched Trunks away.

       "Just let me go boy! What do I have here? Nothing! I have some cave on a deserted island, and a gravity room. I don't have to stay here, when I have more important places to be." He sneered at his son, but Trunks didn't miss the gathered moisture in his father's eyes.

       "Tousan, we have a plan, to fix the time machine! With Bulma's help, and Goku's, in Ano-yo! They're going to get information about the timelines, and how to travel within your own timeline, and change things! Change all this! You could have them all back Tousan, just as though they'd never left! My Kaasan and I can fix our timeline too. We can have events turn out similar to what has happened here! Don't you see? We have hope, and that's all you need right now. And if it doesn't work, then you can leave, join them! You win either way. Just stay, for a little longer. We can go to the hospital, and see how Goten is doing." Vegeta stared at him, his eyes flickering through a range of emotions. Trunks prayed that hope was one of them. He nodded once in acquiescence, and stood slowly. 

       Pan wiped her face, giving Trunks a mental kiss on the cheek. He smiled sadly at her, walking to the front entrance to pull on his shoes. Vegeta and Pan were quick to follow, and they flew off in the direction of Satan General.

(~*~)

       He woke slowly, aware only of the sharp pain in his chest, and the loud throbbing of blood in his ears. Through the thin layer of his eyelids he could see a bright light, and refused to open his eyes. Through the ringing in his ears he could make out the beeping of machinery. The only part that really hurt was his chest and head, and he felt, empty somehow. Like some deep part of him had been torn away, never to return. 

       He heard a soft voice. Pan? Then another person talking softly, Trunks. 

       Where was Bra? Realization crashed down on him, and he somehow exactly what was missing. Bra, their bond, he couldn't feel her just at the other end. He searched for her ki in vain, _knowing_ that it was in vain, and yet he searched. Begged, prayed. Only Vegeta, Trunks, and his niece. He opened his eyes, and focused on Bra's father. He realized that his hand was gripping his own chest, knuckles white from the pressure.

       "It hurts," he gasped out pitifully before passing out again.

(~*~)

       Vegeta silently agreed with the boy. _Yes brat, it does hurt. And it isn't going to stop hurting either. _Like an old rusted knife deep in your chest, turning slowly.

       Goten awoke again, this time a little more coherent, though still in pain. Vegeta felt an odd companionship with him, as he had so often felt with the boy's father, when they were fighting. Like they understood each other on some level. The brat obviously felt it too, and he kept turning to look back at Vegeta, eyes pleading for answers. 

       "There's no use in you even staying here , brat. They can't give you painkillers for that." Goten nodded and sat up, wincing. Trunks and Pan were struggling to not show their exasperation. 

       "What on chikyuu are you two talking about? What hurts?" Trunks asked finally. Both Goten and Vegeta fixed him with a glare.

       "Having the bond with your mate broken is less than pleasant, but you wouldn't know that, since you haven't bonded and then lost anyone." Vegeta snapped irritably. Trunks looked at the floor, muttering softly.

       "I haven't lost her yet," he risked a quick glance at Pan, who blushed. 

       "Nani? Pan, you didn't…" Goten questioned, alarmed. Vegeta gave the couple a shocked look, before quickly covering it with cool disinterest.

       "Relax Uncle Goten, we haven't _done_ anything, but, we're bonded somehow. We realized it last night."  Trunks suddenly smirked, and Pan gave him a shocked look, before she stuck her tongue out at him, and punched him in the shoulder. He stumbled a few feet, but a grin now covered his face. 

       "If you two keep that up, I'll have my first grandchild soon." Vegeta remarked, smirking as their faces grew solem, eyes wide. Goten gasped quietly, sadness covering his features. All in the small hospital room turned to look at him.

       "Bra," he said softly. "She was pregnant. And now…" His brow furrowed and he stared at his hands, folded in his lap. Vegeta's features darkened considerably, and he swore. Goten turned from rage to guilt in a heartbeat.

       "It's all my fault," he moaned. He looked up at Trunks, something glowing in his eyes. "She's ok, right? Your kaasan, isn't…" Trunks shook his head sadly. 

       "It isn't your fault Goten, and you know it. We aren't blaming you." Pan comforted, patting her relatives hand softly.

       "But I was driving. None of us should have been driving, we were all so darn tired. Should have just stayed home."  Trunks looked at him angrily.

       "Just stop it Goten. I know from experience that you can spend your life on all the what if's and should haves. It's a waste that get's you nowhere but depressed and without hope. Don't blame yourself, no one else does. Shit happens, and it can't all be prevented. We're gonna try to prevent it, but the chances are slim." Trunks continued on for a while, letting Goten in on their non-secret. 

       "Let's get out of here. I'm not in critical condition."

(~*~)(Kuso. Right back to big B and little b…)

       "W have some new arrivals we'd like you to meet, Bulma-san."

       "Hai, King Kai. How new are they?" 

       "Very new, just arrived in Ano-yo. Would your son mind transporting us?"

       "Not at all," the young woman replied with a smile, turning towards her son, who was a few feet away training. "Trunks! Newbie duty!" He nodded and walked over to grab her hand. 

       Having foud a deceased native of Yardraat, Trunks had been quick to learn the Instant Transmission that Goku had been so fond of. They were on the long road in the blink of an eye.

       Bra and bulma were standing next to a black haired man, all looking around frantically. The two older(or longer dead, at least) waited in a shocked silence for the allotted ten minutes. What were these two doing here? Oh kami. If Bra was gone, then surely Vegeta wouldn't be far behind. bulma was the first to speak. 

       "Oh kami, please don't let me be dead," she near sobbed. She noticed her alternate self and son, and began to cry. "I'm trapped here," she stammered, "I have to spend eternity alone, without him." Bulma had no doubts as to who she was referring to. Forever spent in the Ano-yo of the wrong timeline.

       This could work out to their advantage, Bulma decided. It would give tham an excuse to find out about timelines and such. A noble excuse, as this womans eternal happiness was at stake. 

       She placed her hands on her counterparts shoulders, shaking her softly to get the hysterical womans attention. "This could be a good thing. Now we have a good reason to ask about how time works. One way or the other, we're gonna get you to him, I promise." Trunks turned to his mother.

       "Kaasan, you guys are going to have to wear different clothes or something, because you two look exactly the same now. And who is this guy?" He pointed to the man standing very close to Bra. He had wild black hair, narrow lavender eyes, and he was well built, almost Trunks' height exactly. He inched closer to Bra, looking into her face.

       "Kaasan?"

*** 

       Would you believe that I just thought of putting that guy in there, like two paragraphs ago? Pretty good eh? I know the chapter wasn't as long as I promised(only 900 words short of 4,500!)…but I really haven't thought out all the details from this point on. I need some brainstorm time, and I do have another fic to work on. 

       Until next time! Thanks to all who reviewed last chapter, and took the time to review All in Me!       

       Arigatou gouzaimashita! Mata ne! 

**_(Review!)_**


	16. TCtF Chapter 16

*sigh* I guess it's back to the salt mines…I've put y'all off for a while, gomen minna. 

     Chapter 16…Sweet 16…Oh yeah baby!!

     Bless you for all the wonderful reviews last chapter!! So many to thank…Rae George, MistressAlexa, AGalaxiaGoddess, Pretty Pink Kitty, Demon Ryoko, Stef-chan and many more!! (Sorry if I spelled everybodies names wrong, I'm trying to do this from memory  -_-;)  Also, thanks to all who took time to both read and review my new story, All in Me!! Love ya, keep it up! I probably ought to quit begging for reviews, since you all know the deal. I'm still entitled to thank you for it, though!   0.0

(~*~)

       "Nani?" Bra choked, staring in disbelief at the young man before her. He simply continued to look at her questioningly.

       "Bra, is there something you haven't told us?" Bulma prodded. Bra turned shock-filled eyes in her direction, before looking back at the boy.

       "H-hai. I was pregnant, before we… So you're saying this is…"she trailed off, unwilling or unable to continue. 

       "Sugoi!(Great!) My first granchild," Bulma smiled at the boy, who was now looking around, blinking in confusion at those nearby. "What's his name, Bra?"  She shrugged. 

       "I only got pregnant last night. Goten and I weren't exactly to the picking out the name bit quite yet. Yet another incentive to get all this straightened out. I can't have him running around Ano-yo without ever knowing what it was like to be alive. By the way, we are all going to do this thing together, right? It can be his first adventure." She ruffled his unruly dark hair, giving him a grin.  He smiled also, mimicking her gesture. Her expression became thoughtful. "What're we gonna name him?"

       "You don't have any names that you like? Most girls spend at least some time thinking up favorite baby names. Didn't you ever do any of that?" Bra shook her head, silently answering her mother. However she quickly vocalized her response.

       "I spent more time training or listening to you drone on about quantam physics. I've never really fawned over guys, except one." She smiled softly, but her lips turned downwards, her thoughts turning to her sweetheart. Was he feeling the same way her father had, when her mother left? All that pain? Grief? Most likely. Shouldn't she be feeling the same? She attributed her obvious comfort to the fact that she was dead, and they were not, somehow making her immune to the pain of a broken bond.

       She returned her gaze to her son, who was glancing around with visible interest. A fully developed body, mind, but no life experience. He could walk, talk, gesture, but she knew it all to be mimicry. The same way all children learn, just copy everybody else. She hoped that he had control over his bodily functions. Did they even have to go to the bathroom here?

       "Kaasan?" The boy looked at her and repeated the word, grinning when she gave him affectionate attention for his accomplishment. "What are we gonna do with him? He's still a baby, mentally, but his basic functions are fully developed. He's learning remarkably fast though. He must not get his brains from Goten's side of the family." She grinned wickedly at her mother and brother, who readily agreed. 

       "Man, and I thought I was gonna have it easy since Vegeta's not around." Goku cut in, alerting all to his abrupt arrival.

       "Somebody has to make up for Touchan's absence," Bra returned, her grin turning just a little less evil. Once again mimicking her expression, the child at her side became a chilling replica of Vegeta. Goku replied by voicing the obvious.

       "Who's that guy?" Pointing to the purple-eyed youth. (AN:Insert group-Anime-fall here…ok, it's not that type of fic, gomen.)

       "Your first grandson." Bra answered proudly, reaching out to tickle her son's belly. He chortled, once again reminding all that he was not the man that he looked. Goku stared at the two, jaw almost reaching his chest and eyes wide.

       "Bra, I think I missed something here," face still betraying his confusion.

       "I was pregnant with Goten's son when I died," her mouth felt odd around the two words. I died. It was still a little hard to believe.

       "Oh ok, I get it now. Isn't he a bit old?," (AN:another anime fall)Goku simply plowed on. "I think we need to get moving. Vegeta and Goten _and_ Trunks were, shall we say, impatient." He pointed to the surfacing bruise on his right cheek(AN: Not _that_ cheek, perv!) "Well, Vegeta was the most impatient, I think. Goten was eating, and Trunks was busy being comforted by Pan. Snuggle-style," bulma's jaw dropped in shock. Goku held out his arms for those nearby to grab hold. Bra planted her son's hand on the older man's shoulder and held it there. 

       The scenery turned a blinding white, before they appeared on a grassy planet surrounded by numerous moons. An old man was sitting on the grass nearby, legs folded and eyes closed in meditation. His eyes opened slowly, taking in Goku and company without blinking.

** (_Important_**** AN: What the hell is that guy's name anyway? I mean, I'm trying to just use the english names, but I don't even know his Japanese name. o_O And what about the fused Supreme Kai/Kibito? Grrr…Ok, taking a look at my manga collection (in japanese) the old one is Ju-Go Daimaekaioushin. And Supreme kai is Kaioushin-Sama…but I already knew that. Well, translation time, gomen minna. OK, _dai_ is generation, or reign. _Mae_ is former. So… 15th Generation Former Supreme Kai? Kinda long, ne? How about the old dude is (Former)Supreme Kai, and the other one is just Shin, like on the dub*vomits*. OK? Ok. Old=Supreme kai, Young=Shin*grumbles*. The things I do for you people… Onwards and upwards!)**

       "Hey Supreme Kai! How's it going?" Goku greeted loudly. The old deity's eyes widened as he took in not one, but _two_ Bulma's right there on his planet! (AN: For those who don't know much about S.Kai, think Roshi. Goku even tried to bribe him with porno pictures of Bulma, but Vege-chan overheard and chewed him out. Of course Funimation will edit that scene like crazy, but I'll just be buying the DVD yo.) He fixed the loud Saiyajin with a hard look, leaning over to whisper in the (much) younger man's ear.

       "That Bulma woman is here, Goku. Are you going to fulfill your end of the deal now?" Goku placed a large hand behind his head, laughing nervously.

       "Well gee Supreme kai, we never really closed that bargain, and besides, my life would be at stake. Vegeta would most certainly kill me slowly and painfully if he found out." The old creature just pouted slightly, glaring at Goku from time to time. Both Bulma's, having picked up on their conversation topic, glared at the two guilty parties, huffing with indignation. 

"Can we please get on with it? We're not here to be exploited by old men."Bulma voiced, stillglaring at Goku and the Kai at his side. Bra and Trunks smirked bemusedly, with Bra's child copying again, managing to look like his grandsire.(AN:I hate using that word, makes them all sound like horses or something)

       "What do you need my dear?" The Supreme Kai sidled up to the young woman, smiling at her graciously.

       "Are you the top of the ladder?" She demanded bluntly, backing away a step. His look of bewilderment caused her to sigh I exasperation. "In your little hierarchy of Kai's, are you the top guy? The head honcho? Is there anyone above you?" He nodded his understanding.

       "I am most certainly _not_ the highest kai you can seek. Though I am fairly close. There is only one more above me, named Kai." She merely blinked at him. "What were you expecting? The Super-Dee-Duper-Ultimate Kai? He was the first one, and his name is kept simple, though highly revered." Awe was apparent in the Supreme Kai's gravelly tone.

       "So, how do we go see him?" Bulma asked nonchalantly. He looked at her in horror, utterly flabbergasted.

       "You can't just _go see him_!! You must be a very renowned, noble, honorable being to gain an audience with him." He declared, obviously scorned.

       "Well, what if our _purpose_ is noble and honorable?"

       "No mere purpose of _yours_ could possibly be good enough. He is very busy, and hates it when beings waste his time."

       "What if our purpose was her?" Pointing to bulma, whose eyes were still red-rimmed. He gave her a 'yeah, right' look, frowning deeply.

       "There is no way that gorgeous creature could be reason enough to—"

       "But her happiness is at stake! Her true love, her soul _mate_ is waiting for her, in another timeline, another Ano-yo. She can never be content apart from him." He sighed in defeat.

       "That sounds like the kind of sob-story Kai would go for. The old softie." He took time to cast a glare on each one in turn. "This way." He turned away from the small group, a portal appearing before him. It shimmered dark blue, millions of golden flecks whirling within it's midnight depths. He motioned for each to preceed him through the gateway.

       Bulma watched as Bra went first, son in tow. They disappeared with the first touch to the dark surface. Goku and bulma followed quickly. Bulma clasped her son's hand before coming into contact with the Supreme Kai's portal, and the world went black.

***

Okay, it's short. But I really can't spend all my time typing 3,000 word chapters for y'all, much as I would like to. I honestly think this chapter sucked greatly, mostly because I haven't thought through this bit fully. Inspiration hasn't been failing me though, so hopefully things will go rather smoothly for a while.

    I have a survey for y'all! What should I name Goten and Bra's little guy? I'm loving him already ^_^ Give me your original ideas (absolutely NO names like Sock, Boxer, or Bikini! Preferably no underwear names unless they are brilliant! And if they are brilliant, you're more likely to keep them for your own stories. Oh well…) I do have a few names running through my mind, all with significant meanings, so lemme know which one you prefer!

**Tanjo**—Birth (My best friend really likes this one)

**Rakutanjo **(shortened somehow)—Easy/comfortable birth, you gotta admit, Bra did have it **_EASY_**.

**Jikan**—Time (hehe)

**Kizuna**—Bond, tie between people

**Meisho**—Designating object or person/name

**Hokori**—Pride(I like this one ^.^)

Please oh PLEASE let me know! I'm really torn, cause these are all really good names, or at least I think so. ^__~  Thank you!

         
      


	17. TCtF Chapter 17

       Wow, thanks for all the feedback, guys! Only one name got more than one vote, and it happened to be the one that I liked. Um, you'll just have to see, ne? I still haven't decided on a real name, but the little guy will earn a little pet name from his Mommy. Kawaii… 

       Y'all are _so_ awesome…so many reviews! I love you!  

       And for those of you that bothered to read it, chapter 3 of All in Me should be out soon. I won't say when, because I always get really busy if I predict the update time, and it ends up really late. So we'll just say, soon. 

       Jetstream: I already thought that bit out, and I meant to put it in with the chapter when everybody (Bra and bulma) kicks off, but I forgot. So I'm going to try to fit it in this chapter, if the story line will lend itself to it. Please excuse my incoherent blathering, I'm like really tired now, I guess I'll write more in the morning…

(~*~)

       Exiting the Gravity room with a growling stomach, Vegeta grabbed the nearest towel and wiped himself down, panting softly. He usually just trained to clear his head, but as always, it only made him think more.

       If their little 'plan' failed, he was sure there would be no going on with this life. It must be his lot in life, misery. The moment that he realized he was happy, or as close as he could come, his happiness was snatched away, replaced with pain, and plenty of it. For so long his little Bra had been the only one he cared for, or at least, the only one _living_. And now she was gone, leaving behind a mate of her own, and taking their child with her. 

       Goten too was a wreck, eating very little, and only when his mother forced him. He would stare at nothing for extended periods of time, altogether reminding Vegeta of himself fifteen years prior. Except that the younger man had no child to care for, to give him reason, purpose. As mushy as it sounded, he felt the boy's pain, all too vividly. Bleck, that was _horribly_ sappy, but true nonetheless. 

       Trunks was little comfort, as he was too busy being comforted by is mate. Even now, as Vegeta walked through the living room, the two were curled about one another, Trunks asleep with his head on Pan's chest, she stroking his head and back. She gave Vegeta a sad, sympathetic glance before closing her eyes, head resting on the back of the sofa.

       He dug around in the refrigerator, cursing when the milk carton was knocked over, spilling its contents over the various foods nearby. He stood back and blinked for a moment before grabbing a washing rag from the sink and mopping up the mess. Something in his mind nagged at him, telling him _he_ should not be the one cleaning. He pushed the thought away, reminding himself that there was no one else to clean it up. There was no one else.

       Before leaving the hospital, he had requested to see Bra's body, demanded an explanation of the cause of her death. 

       She had been in the front passenger seat, with bulma directly behind her. They were broadsided by an SUV running a red light. The metal in the door was ripped to shreds, sending pieces into Bra's soft flesh, seriously damaging many major organs. Between the vast amounts of blood loss, and the head injuries, she was gone within moments. 

       Milk dripped back into the fridge from the rag, which was clenched in a white-knuckle grip. Noticing the dripping liquid undoing any work he had accomplished, Vegeta loosened his fist, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He returned to wiping out the fridge, and soon finished. He removed a small bag of lunch meat, munching discontentedly. Somehow swallowing was uncomfortable with the constant pain wracking his upper torso.

       Appetite soon lost, he replaced the meat, deciding a simple glass of water was in order. Vegeta sat down in the living area with Trunks and Pan to drink, leaning back in the recliner heavily. Pan opened her eyes and lifted her head to look him in the eye. He stared back at her, fully aware of how dead his eyes must look. How dead he felt, wanted to be. She glanced back at the still sleeping Trunks, tenderness and sorrow crossing her features. Quickly bringing dark eyes to meet Vegetas, she spoke softly, so as not to wake her resting mate.

       "I think losing her is the worst thing that could have happened to him," he only "hmph"ed in reply, now noticing the tear stains on the boys face. Vegeta furrowed his brow, shook his head.

       "No, he will get past her death, eventually. The worst thing would be for him to lose _you,_" he fixed her sith a hard stare, hoping to kami she would get his drift without further explanation on his part. Pan simply looked confused, and now shook _her_ head.

       "I don't think so, Vegeta-san. He's only known me for a day, I can hardly belive Trunks would miss me more than his own mother."

       "He isn't bonded to his mother. If his bond with you were to break…_you_ have never known the pain that such a break can bring. It has nothing to do with how intimate you are." His eyes darted away from hers to study the carpet intensely. That knife in his chest twisted a little more, and he closed his eyes quickly, letting out a small grunt of pain. Kami, if it would only fade with time, but if anything, the pain only worsened, until it killed just from the shock.

       When he opened his eyes again, she was gazing at him, worry evident. He finished his water in one swallow and headed outside, needing fresh air of a sudden. He sensed Goten's ki on the roof of Capsule Corp., rising and falling quickly. He was spotted easily, lying on his back with his hands behind his head. He stared up at the slowly darkening sky, eyes glazed.

       Silently joining him on the soft slope, Vegeta lay down in the same position, one which he had regularly utilized in his earlier days on Chikyuu. Usually at night, so he could star gaze, easily naming many of the visible stars, making special note of the systems he had…_visited_. He turned his mind away from that corner of is mind, and, not wanting to risk any unpleasant memories that had to do with afore-mentioned star sytems, focused on the boy next to him.

       Vegeta watched silently as Goten's face twisted into a grimace every few seconds. 

       "Any advice?" The silence broke abruptly as Goten voiced his cryptic question. Somehow sensing the boy's meaning, Vegeta answered simply.

       "No. It will only become more painful. It will kill you eventually, if you don't finish the job first." Goten rolled onto his side to face the older man.

       "Are you suggesting that I commit suicide?"

       "In the end, you really don't have a choice." The boy turned away again, depression exuding heavily from his lax form.

       "What about when they were back? When _she_ was back. Did it go away then?" He asked quietly. Vegeta only nodded, closing his eyes again as pain wracked his lithe form. Talking aobut this certainly didn't make it any easier, he noted, and Goten obviously felt the same as his breath came in shallow gasps.

       Only pain ahead.

(~*~)

       "Shhhh…Hush now, my little Tenshi," Bra quieted her son, who was crying loudly due to the darkness they floated in, which he obviously held a great dislike for. (AN: Do you like his nickname? It means 'Angel' for those who don't know. I thought it was quite fitting. ^_^I will refer to him by the nickname too)

       A gleaming white path materialized beneath their feet, softly illuminating all present. Tenshi quieted, but kept his head buried agaist his mother's chest. There was an odd hum in the air, and the feeling of ki, everywhere, all encompassing. Like the very air was charged with it. Bra felt her pulse quicken, as before a fight, and Tenshi squirmed. Goku was fidgeting excitedly, and Trunks smirked. Bulma and her counterpart stared at the four oddly, easily noticing their change in disposition.

       "This is as far as I can go," Supreme Kai announced. "I would suggest the Chikyuu-jin return with me also. The Kai's energy permeates the air here, and it only gets stronger the closer you become. It gets uncomfortable after a few miles. You should stay also, Goku. The Kai would be displeased with you being here, as you are still alive." Those instructed to stay behind looked quite disappointed, especially Goku. 

       "Well Kaasan, it looks like you get your first babysitting job for your grandson," Bra said, nudging Bulma gently with her elbow. The older woman (AN:Older???) nodded resignedly, transferring Tenshi into her embrace. He began crying again, jerking away easily to return to Bra. Bulma gave Goku a helpless glance, and he gently untangled Tenshi from his mother and lead him back through the portal. The others followed quickly, leaving Trunks and Bra alone with the Supreme Kai.

       "Just follow the road, you will know when you reach the Kai. Don't wander off the path, and _do_ _not_ go near those little gold stars. Oh, and it would be better if you don't fly. Kai doesn't like people to be impatient. After you talk to him, request that he give you a portal back to my planet. Sarabada." The siblings nodded acknowledgement, faces eager. Supreme Kai disappeared back into his own portal, and it closed behind him with a flash of light.

       Bra gave her older (AN:Older??) sibling a smile and took off running. His eyes widened and then narrowed as he sprinted after her, grinning broadly.

(~*~)

       Trunks drifted his eyes open, noticed he was still resting against Pan, and closed them again. He murmured sleepily and squirmed closer, heaving a sigh of contentment. It just felt so, nice…right. Like he belonged there. He felt himself doze as she resumed stroking his back, nearly causing him to fall asleep again. Her scent filling his nostrils was slowly driving him wild, conflicting almost painfully with the soothing stroke of her fingers across his back.

       Opening his eyes again, he moved his head to kiss her neck, causing her to gasp in shock. He smirked against her soft skin, kissing a trail along her jawline, and paused right below her lips. She was quivering slightly, and he raised a hand to stroke one smooth cheek. Her head dropped so her mouth met his, and Trunks mind filled with a burning need, everything but his mate fading into nothingness.

***

        I think we all know where that's going… ^__~  Hehehe…

       Everybody, please tell me your name ideas, if you haven't already! There is only _one _name that got more than one vote, and I was leaning towards it anyhow…so, if you don't care for that name, tell me now! Hokori-Pride, has two votes, plus it's my fave so far. But as I said before, I still haven't decided.

       You all know how to review, and I think you're very good about it, so I won't bug you today. But thank everyone SOOOOOO much for reviewing!! I've got **_71_** so far!!!! I can still hardly believe how much people are enjoying this!


	18. TCtF Chapter 18

Oh dear Kami, I've never had this much trouble with a chapter. I'm really trying to be speedy with updates, but as I said before, I refuse to sacrifice quality for speed of update. To be honest, before and during the writing of this fic, I only thought about the events up to like chapter 16, all the rest was planned, but not in near enough detail. And now that I'm nearing the end, I need to think up something good for y'all, cuz you'll never forgive me if you like the whole thing and then the end sucks arse. I intend on doing my best for this thing.

       I have numerous possible endings, so perhaps I'll post some of the other ones later on. Also, is anybody in favor of a sort-of sad ending? I think I'm gonna go with happy, and post the sad one as an alternate ending.  Only the happy one allows me to introduce Kio, my OC from my very first attempt at a fanfiction (which sucked royally, and if you never see it it will be too soon, trust me). Don't worry, Kio is **_not_** *shudders* a Mary Sue.

       So, that's the state of the fic currently…

(~*~)

       Panting heavily, Bra leaned down with her hands on knees, jaw gaping to allow easier passage of air to her starving lungs. Sweat dripped from the tip of her nose to the ground, sizzling into steam upon impact. Her muscles were anything but tired after the long run, the surrounding air immediately re-energizing her. Trunks was bent over in a similar position, gasping like a suffocating fish. Neither had ever run for so long, at such a speed.

       "Running like this is, bullcrap," Trunks announced, still panting while glaring with hatred at the road ahead. "It's not that hard to focus, on the big guy's ki, I, could just teleport us."

       "But he said that Kai, doesn't like impatient people," Bra reminded, also still breathing hard.

       Trunks smirked. "I'm not impatient, I just hate running is all," he reasoned, now standing upright.

       "Nice try 'Niichan. Running is a breeze. It takes up so little energy—"

       "Not at the speeds we were going, " Trunks cut in, "We ran like that for two whole hours, how much farther could it be? Besides, we aren't impatient, just…pressed for time. We wouldn't want Tousan and Goten to show up, now would we?"

       "I still think we can just walk the rest of the way. You can tell by the things ki how close we are."

       "How? We don't know how powerful he is to begin with. We'll walk some and then we can run a little more," Trunks suggested, looking into his sister's blue eyes, so like their mother's, yet with their father's intense gaze. He found her penetrating eyes a bit unnerving and turned away to examine their surroundings more closely. She murmured some agreement.

       Small glowing flecks of gold zoomed through the air, coming dangerously close to the traveling Saiya-jin. The pair dodged easily, making jaunts at one another at the odd positions they were forced into to avoid the miniscule stars. It was rather difficult to stay away from the tiny orbs of light, as they paid no attention to those walking in their midst, simply sailed by as if they owned the place.

       And they probably did.

(~*~)

       "Are you still worrying about our relationship?" Trunks guessed by the expression his mate's face, though the guess was certainly an educated one with her thoughts always invading his mind. He stroked her middle softly with his free hand from where he lay with his front pressed against her back.

       " I can't help thinking we're making it harder on ourselves this way. You have to leave eventually, if only to die in your own timeline and go to the correct Otherworld." She squirmed closer against him, treasuring the feeling of closeness as long as it would last. She hated the fact that she had finally found a man that she was happy to be around, didn't mind sharing a mind with, that she would gladly spend eternity with, and she _couldn't_ spend their forever together. She felt a sudden pang for his mother, who had died in the wrong timeline, now trapped in their Ano-yo. Always alone and without her mate. Pan shivered, and Trunks kissed her temple, his hand sliding down her goose-bumped forearm.

       "We have plenty of time to sort it all out. If they're successful, we can fix your timeline, my Kaasan will be alive again, and our bond will probably disappear. The Trunks here will be alive again, and you will attach yourself to him. Then I'll go home, fix our world, and have a Pan-chan of my own. But until then, I'm perfectly happy with this one here," Trunks lowered his head and nuzzled her neck gently, softly kissing the small wound he had made upon the smooth skin. She sighed sadly.

       "But I don't want that Trunks. I only want you," she replied desperately, turning over so she was facing him. Her pitch eyes glistened with tears as they bored deeply into his own blue, informing him of her exact feelings on the matter. Trunks leaned his forehead against hers, noses touching and eyes closed. He tilted his head to claim her mouth, kissing her reassuringly. Her hand crept to his back, distractedly tracing the crevices between well-toned muscles under smooth skin.

       Trunks growled low with apparent desire. He was quite thankful to himself for thinking to bring her upstairs to his room, as intimacy in privacy was what they both deemed quite desirable at the moment.

(~*~)

       Goten sat up abruptly, eyes widening. His disposition lightened, and he rubbed a hand over his heart, smiling in relief. He turned to Vegeta excitedly.

       "She's back, Vegeta-san. I can feel it!" Without another word he bolted from the roof, flying with increasing speed to some undetermined destination that only he knew of. The wind whipped his hair backwards, and he could sense Vegeta following closely.

       Bra came into view, talking to Baba and bulma, a strange man at her side. She turned to face him, a dazzling smile crossing her soft features. He stopped in front of her, his hands snaking around her waist. She gently but firmly pushed him away, changing from the woman he loved to a woman dressed fashionably, with hair long and makeup and jewelry. Her well muscled form softened a bit, and she drifted backwards, away.

       He chased her, trying to reach her, ask her why she was acting so strangely. She merely drifted further away, just out of reach. Always out of reach…

       Goten was awake with a start, pain seizing his body as he recalled her rejection in his dream. Dream, only a dream, he assured himself. He gasped for air, having the strange sensation of suffocation. 

       The pain dissolved momentarily, replaced with completeness, and an undeniable link to her. To her…

       He turned around as quickly as possible to confront merry blue eyes, grinning at him lovingly. She threw her arms about his neck, kissing him deeply. Her movements forced him to slip, falling off the roof swiftly. He stopped them easily and flew back up to the roof.

       "What are you doing back? And so early…" he questioned without pulling away. He noted the halo still above her head, but ignored it for the time being. He could feel Vegeta staring at them, could sense the waves of envy and pain rolling from the older man.

       "Time passes differently in Ano-yo. We got exactly what we wanted. I also brought a few friends along. I don't think I will be able to spend much time with you, because I have to get working with bulma. But you can mind the baby while we're busy." She smirked, looking to the left. Goten followed her gaze to a young man, black hair swept up with two locks hanging over his forehead, his wide lavender eyes staring about. He put his fist in his mouth and waddled over to his mother. He blinked interestedly at the older man she stood with.

       "I named him Tenshi, but if you don't like it we could always rename him."

       "You mean he's--!"

       "Our son. Like every one else in Ano-yo, he is in the prime of life, just not mentally. Other than all the normal life skills, he is fully developed. You'll get used to it." She assured, smiling at the look of awe on his face. Tenshi's eyebrows drew down into a scowl when Goten simply stared at him, unmoving. This snapped him out of it, and Goten spoke once more to his mate.

       "He looks just like your Tousan," he accused. She giggled, patting his cheek softly.

       "I guess Touchan's traits are _dominant_ in his male descendants," She laughed, turning her head to meet her father's eyes. Her grin slipped crookedly of her face, and she pulled away from her mate to walk quickly over to him. Mentally telling him to take Tenshi and leave, she waited for Goten to depart before speaking.

       "Are you okay, Touchan?" She asked, concern heavily tinting her voice. He looked away.

       "Of course," he snarled.

       "Have you tried sleeping? I can give you something to help you rest," she suggested. 

       "Whatever," he grunted, following her off the building.

(~*~)

       "This should do the trick," Bra announced, handing her father a cup of blue liquid. His lip curled in disgust, but he downed the medication quickly. He grimaced at the horrible taste, setting the cup on the table roughly.

       "Blech! Can't you make it taste better than grape-flavored toilet bile? That was…revolting," he complained, making his way over to the medical bed slowly. A wave of dizziness caused him to stagger and then pass out onto the cold tile. She dragged him with little difficulty onto the nearest examination table, pulling a blanket over his still form to ward off the chill air of her mother's lab. 

       "Will he be okay?" Bulma (Mirai) questioned from where she stood by the door, worry creasing her brow.

       "If we get this machine working, we'll all be better off." Bra remarked, leading her alternate mother to the opposite end of the lab, towards the time machine. She laid her hand on the cool metal, her fingers partially covering a hastily scrawled word. She whispered the word to herself a few times and then removed a fine hair from her pocket. The single hair just screamed purple, contrasting nicely with the blond tint that shone softly from it.

       "I just need some DNA from _your_ Trunks," she told bulma and the older woman nodded agreement, retreating from the lab silently.

(~*~) 

AN: Poor, poor Trunks… Mwahahaha!

       Trunks kissed Pan's sweat-covered forehead, panting softly against her skin. He lay beside her again, pulling her small form close with a hand on the small of her back.

       Someone knocked twice, and he heard his mother's soft voice.

       "Trunks?" The door began opening, and the couple stared in shock at each other. Quickly pulling a sheet over them, Trunks managed to find his voice.

       "Ka-kaasan? You're back! Did it work?" He rambled, staring at his mother with a halo hanging suspended above her head. She looked at him with a mixture of surprise and horror. Her expression quickly shifted into a scowl, and she glared at each demi-saiyajin in turn.

       "Well you two sure work fast," she snapped, storming over to the bed. Reaching out, she grabbed a few hairs, certainly more than one, but not enough to leave a bald spot. She yanked them free of his scalp and turned on her heel to leave.

       "Itai!" He yelped, rubbing furiously at his head. "What was that for?" He demanded angrily.

       "It's all for the cause my son, all for the cause," was her cryptic reply as she exited his room, leaving the door wide open behind her.

(~*~)

AN: Flashbacks are in italics.

       "Your brother!" Bulma sputtered, handing the gathered hair to Bra. "Do you know where I found him? Do you? He was in bed! Mh-hmm. With Pan, nonetheless! They're digging themselves deeper and deeper." Bra merely rolled her eyes.

       _The enormous golden ball of energy flared momentarily, then dissolved to reveal a short creature. His hair was white, standing mohawk-like against pale purple skin. His ears came to points, nicely framing his almond shaped eyes. _

_       "Shin," Trunks breathed as the loud roar died down slightly. The creature nodded in affirmation._

_       "The creature Shin was merely an extension of myself, sent to rescue a universe from impending doom. What is your purpose for traveling here?" The creatures voice was soft, yet somehow demanded your attention._

Placing the identical samples of DNA under a powerful scanner, Bra set it to map every miniscule trait, including those on the sub-atomic level and smaller.

_       "We wish to learn," Bra piped in, "We wish to learn about time. How it works, and the differences between timelines. We want to learn how to detect these differences, if possible."_

_       "I cannot answer all of your questions, such things are not permitted for you to know. But hear this, there is a common difference in all things, if you merely look hard enough."_

"That will take at least an hour," Bulma informed her alternate daughter. "Why don't we go get a bite to eat, or visit Goten and Tenshi?" Bra shoved a remote alarm into her pocket, insuring that she would know the moment the scan finished.

       _Another shimmering blue portal appeared, moving quickly to engulf the pair, sending them hurtling towards Supreme Kai's planet. Days passed as they contemplated Kai's message, and having unraveled what they hoped he had meant, a select few returned to Chikyuu._

Comparing DNA from the two Trunks', or even the two Bulma's seemed the easiest way to find those 'common differences'. Bra only hoped that her equipment was powerful enough. If they couldn't accomplish this within the next twenty-four hours, then they were screwed. 

       Seriously, extremely, and excruciatingly screwed.

***

Wow, I'm really proud of myself now! ^_^ I guess the 4th try is the charm. *Grumbles* I swear, this chapter was so damn stubborn, I was ready to throw something. Like, the laptop. Just be thankful (_very _thankful) that I didn't post what I had before. Oh my KAMI it SUCKED…majorly. Actually, **_I'm _**thankful I didn't post that crap, y'all would have all dis-owned me and boycotted my stories.

   Please review! I really need to be assured that I finally got this right, or at least acceptable… My ego needs a serious stroking…

       Wow, life took a turn for the better today! I found out that I have the resources to go to a rock climbing lock in this weekend, attend the prom (my first) and buy a season pass to Busch Gardens. YES!!! I'm. So. Happy!!!  And, on Thursday I get to actually _go_ to Busch Gardens. Mwahahahaha!!! Yes, Alpengeist, and the infamous Apollo's Chariot. The very Apollo's Chariot that ruined poor Fabio's face! Hehe, my cousin and I joke that Fabio killed the bird by spearing it with his nose…yeah, I really don't like Fabio…can you tell? Anyhow, the rolloer coaster is awesome!!! Woohoo!!!!

      (I can't imagine _anybody_ flaming me for insulting Fabio, and if you do, I'm just gonna laugh my damn ass off *smirks*)


	19. TCtF Chapter 19

I'm getting really excited as we near the finale here. And really nervous. Is it normal that writing the end of a story is this nerve-wracking?? I'd imagine so… Also, I threw in a song on this one. The plot of the chapter doesn't match the song exactly, but I simply must insert this song somewhere in the fic. It's called 'Could it be any harder' by The Calling. I love The Calling!!

   *sobs* Well, I didn't get to go to Busch Gardens yet, though I'm still going to get a season pass…Bwahahahahahaaa! I can't wait!!!

    And much more Vege-chan in this chapter, at my dear Rae's request. ^_^

    DAMMIT ALL TO HELL!!! I just called the freaking radio station to answer a question for a game, right? I had a good answer in mind, but never got through. AND THEN ANOTHER FREAKING PERSON CALLS IN WITH THE SAME ANSWER AND WINS!!!!!!!!!!!  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     "This has been a test of your emergency flip out system. This is a true to life story of what you can expect to hear the next time Beji-chan gets seriously pissed…"

(~*~)

**You left me with goodbye and open arms**

**A cut so deep I don't deserve**

 The blackness surrounding him brightened abruptly, and he was standing on his own lawn.       

_       Vegeta felt his gut wrenching into a knot at the bittersweet apparition before him. Goten and Bra sat against a tree, curled into each other's embrace as Tenshi wandered around the garden, tail waving excitedly as he chased the occasional bug._ (AN: Gomen! I forgot to mention his tail before now!)    

_       Everything was back to normal again, normal as things were before Bra died. Hearing that she was gone had been the last nail in his own coffin, at least mentally. He found it sickening how close to happy the news had made him. He was free, he could join his mate, stay with her forever. Nothing could ever separate them. Ever._

_       And now Kakarott's brat was getting his day in the sun, his own mate and son having returned. And Vegeta was still alone. Alone, synonym for; pain._

_       But the girl, she had hope. She believed that they could solve the Kai's puzzle, that they could change the machine that brought Trunks back so long ago. She believed that she could not only return his mate to him, but those lost fifteen years as well. What he wouldn't give to see his son grow to manhood. He would even consider allowing him to mate with Kakarott's grandbrat._

_       Her hope was contagious, and he could only hope she was right._

       The vision faded, and darkness swelled, again fulfilling it's purpose as temporary pain-reliever.

**You were always invincible in my eyes**

The only thing against us now is time 

(~*~)

       The alarm sounded quietly, vibrating in Bra's pocket. She grinned in anticipation, pulling away from her mate to proceed quickly to the lab. He reluctantly released her, returning her smile encouragingly. 

       The door swooshed open to reveal a still sleeping Vegeta being stared at by a thoughtful Bulma. Bra watched quietly, gently reaching into the mind of her alternate mother. 

       Memories swirled quickly through the older woman's mind, most bittersweet in their recollection. All thoughts centered on her mate, her pain, sadness, and…guilt. Her short trip to the grocery store on a day the dynamic duo decided to strike. She arrived at the scene as soon as she assumed them gone, checking for wounded or hiding, _anything_ that lived. She felt an odd sense of dread, but shook it off quickly; she had always hated being near the dead. She started at their cold, cruel laughter, their obvious joy at finding one that had escaped. They circled closer, panthers, honing in on the kill. 

       And then he was there. Fighting brutally, taking far more hits than he landed. Bulma was unsure if he had landed any blows. They taunted, toyed, played with him, killing slowly. Somehow knowing a tiny bit of his heritage, they made cutting remarks about his lost race, his continued failures. He brushed it all aside, ignoring their attempts to hurt him mentally.

       His body lying lifeless on the sharp gravel. 

       Eyes opened to the blue sky. 

       Staring at the joyous, warm spring sun.

       And Bulma knew she would never, _could_ never, forgive herself.

**Could it be any harder to say goodbye and without you,**

**Could it be any harder to watch you go, to face what's true**

**If I only had one more day**

       Bra retreated from the woman's mind, her breath drawing in a gasp. The image was burned into the retina of her minds eye, an eternal afterimage lingering just at the edge of sight. A tear escaped her eyelashes, and she watched twin drops of liquid crystal make slow trails down Bulma's smooth cheeks. She rushed to her side, throwing her arms about her alternate mother, who was crying softly. She replaced that small link to her mind, pouring comfort and love through it. Hope managed to blend with it all, as that was the overlying emotion still burning through Bra's being.

       The crying of both slowed and they wordlessly walked over to the softly bleeping console, almost racing in their excitement. Bra pulled up the results quickly, and then set the machine to comparing the two samples for any and all differences.

       Bra watched with mixed feelings as one characteristic after the other was scanned, identical in every way. The scan finished, having found nothing unique about the two small hairs. 

       Puzzled, the demi-saiyajin commanded it to re-scan, this time on the molecular level. Nothing. Atomic level. Still no results. Sub-atomic. 

       Ah, there it was!

       She pinpointed the tiny bit of evidence, a small piece of the puzzle revealed. The two women studied the makeup of a single proton. Bulma spoke finally.

       "It looks like a numerical, gomen, _binary_ code, almost…tattooed on the proton. If we feed this into…" She trailed on, murmuring to herself. She worked in silence for a few moments, then sat back in the chair when the screen went blank. She was about to restart the computer when the screen flashed white and then faded. Still totally lost, Bulma returned to resetting the controls. Bra stopped her with a gesture, hitting a button to repeat the flash. The computer complied immediately. 

       "What is it Bra?" 

       "A sequence. The code converts easily into colors, at least for a computer. Though it was quite fast, that flash was a very, very complex color sequence. Like some kind of tag." Bulma nodded her understanding.

       "The time machine is already able to grasp another timeline. If we install equipment that will detect that tag and lock on to it, we should be able to hone in on whatever timeline we wish." The two women rushed about the lab, gathering necessary materials. Bra found another chance to read Bulma's thoughts, scanning her list of parts needed and collecting them with superhuman speed.

       Bra sensed her father's ki beginning to rise as he slowly awoke, the pain driving him to consciousness prematurely. It would take at least a half hour to fully awaken, and she ignored his soft murmurs.

(~*~)

**I lie down and blind myself with laughter**

**A quick fix of hope is what I'm needing**

**And how I wish that I could turn back the hours**

**But I know I just don't have the power**

       Feeling intelligent thought return, Vegeta considered the vision he had just seen. He decided that it could easily have been real, had he not been in a coma-like trance from whatever that shit was Bra had administered. That about summarized the flavor of it. 

       He found that he was unable to open his eyes as of yet, and contented himself with sensing Bra and Bulma's ki moving about the lab. He was finding it increasingly difficult to be near that woman, and her blasted familiar energy signature. 

       **Could it be any harder to say goodbye and without you,**

**Could it be any harder to watch you go, to face what's true**

**If I only had one more day**

       He found that wiggling his fingers was the extent of mobility. He allowed his mind to drift to his own fantasies of the next few days. Who was going to make the trip to the past anyhow? If they even fixed the damn thing. Though, based on his recollection of Bra's current state of mind, returning to the past was entirely possible. Her mind was abuzz with ideas, running with light speed through complex calculations, making educated guesses at the results of different methods. Baffled by the complicated equations, he withdrew to his own thoughts, feeling a begrudging sense of pride in his daughter. 

       Timidly stepping into the part of his mind that always revolved around his mate, Vegeta was hit with a new wave of discomfort. He ignored it and pressed on, letting his thoughts of raising Bra and Trunks with _her_ entertain his minds eye.

**I'd jump at the chance, **

**We'd drink and we'd dance**

**And I'd listen close to your every word,**

**As if it's your last, well I know it's your last,**

**Cause today, oh, you're gone**

He pulled himself out of the reverie, which had turned quickly from fantasy to memory. He cursed when he felt small drops of wetness amble away from his eyes, leaving trails down his tan cheeks. He cursed again when he found himself still unable to move, speak, or even open his eyes. Emotion lay trapped in his throat, a rusted blade twisting itself deeper into the vital organs of his chest.

       Soft fingers stroked his face, removing tears. "Shhh, it's okay Touchan. We've got this machine all figured out. All we have to do now is get the new parts installed, and you can go back. I think it's best if you just go and warn yourself, right? Hush now, you'll be with her soon. Goten is having a good time with Tenshi. Maybe when you wake up you can go see him. You'll find he is the most willing student, and he'll copy anything that you do. Now is your chance to influence him no end." She murmured soothingly, her voice breaking with the mixture of joy and sorrow that always resulted in tears. 

       His tears faded under the influence of her comforting words, the scorching heat embedded in his chest dying down to a soft smolder. And he realized somehow that she considered this to be her main purpose in life. Not training, or her company, but being there for him. So many times she had missed days at work, time spent with her friends, her lab work, time spent with the other man in her life. Stayed home because he was in a fowl mood. Cooked him a good meal, stayed silent unless he spoke, and usually received a rough sparring session. (AN: Not beating, just more intense than usual. No severe injuries)

       "Well, we'll never get done just sitting here now will we Touchan? You just let that drug wear off, and then go outside with Goten and your _grandbrat_." He could hear the smirk in her voice as she moved away from him, intentionally saving him from any embarassment over his weakness moments ago.

       How had he produced such an angel? Where had she gotten that sweetness, tempered by her determination and strength of character? Pride was almost as deeply embedded in her soul as his, and no small arrogance. She wasn't perfect, and still contained many of her parent's faults. And yet, she was so close to perfection. So like her mother.

       Her mother. He breathed deeply, letting visions of the woman dance through his thoughts. He watched as her halo disappeared, arms opening as she drew near him. She laughed happily as he crushed her to his chest in a loving embrace. Both of his children appeared and he pulled away from his mate slightly. The two were followed by Goten and Pan respectively, a small child held in the arms of each of the young mothers, the fathers looking over shoulders at their children excitedly. A figure hung off to the side, only visible in ones peripheral view, vanishing when you turned your head to find them. He soon forgot about the mysterious creature as Trunks and Bra disappeared again, leaving him alone with Bulma. Except that being _alone_ with her gave the word an entirely different meaning.

       Harsh reality crushed his dreams as the stabbing in his upper torso became unbearable.

**Could it be any harder to live my life without you**

**Could it be any harder I'm all alone, I'm all alone**

**Like sand on my feet, **

**The smell of sweet perfume,**

**You stick to me forever**

**And I wish you didn't go,**

**I wish you didn't go, **

**I wish you didn't go away**

**To touch you again,**

** With life in your hands,**

       He pushed all thoughts of her from his mind forcefully, using most of his willpower to rise from the medical bed and stumble through the door, aware of the eyes on his retreating back.

(~*~)

       Trunks pulled his jeans on, buttoning them easily and slipping a shirt over his head. He had a really hot ass, Pan decided (AN: *drools*). She made her mental voice intentionally loud, and grinned in success when Trunks turned bright red. His embarrassed look turned quickly to a smirk and she swallowed her laughter. He advanced on her half dressed form, backing her into the nearest wall with ease. He placed a hand on either side of her, trapping her in place.

       She took a deep breath, and tried her best to look triumphant. His smirk only turned more mischievous.  She leaned against him as he nibbled her ear seductively. She kissed his temple and pushed him away gently, stirring up his memory to recall their original reason for going downstairs. He nodded knowingly and regretfully moved away, striding out the door after flashing her a sexy little grin. She finished dressing and followed him quickly, catching up with him on the stairs. 

       Trunks took her hand in his larger one as they continued down the halls to the lab. A bleary eyed Vegeta sneered at them as he stumbled down the hall in the opposite direction.Trunks just shook his head wearily.

       They entered the lab only to be enveloped in a flurry activity. Bra rushed about the large room, attaching parts to the time machine and then scampering off again to find another tool or component. Bulma glared at the pair before advancing on them. She turned icily to Trunks and explained in detail the modifications they were making to the machine. Pan stood dumb-founded as they rattled off terms she had only heard from the mouth of her best friend. She went to sit on a nearby chair while Trunks got instructions in case Bulma and Bra ran out of time.

       Shouting a quick farewell to her mate, Pan exited the lab. She searched out her uncle's ki and followed it outside, where he played with a young man near age twenty. They played a simplified tag, with Goten the pre-determined loser.

       "Who's that Goten-san?" She questioned, looking the boy over closely. He seemed vaguely familiar, but Pan found it difficult to place where she had seen him before. (AN: If Pan were to marry Trunks, then that would make Tenshi her cousin and her nephew… o_O; creepiness…) After being tagged playfully on the back by his playmate, Goten called a break, the other man obviously not paying any attention as he slapped Goten repeatedly. Pan noticed his tail with a start. A tail? Who on Chikyuu…

       "Pan, I would like you to meet Tenshi, your very first cousin. He came for a visit with Bra and Bulma-san. Tenshi, this is your cousin Pan," Goten introduced proudly, a large grin covering his face. Pan examined Tenshi in a new light, noticing the scowling features, sharp lavender eyes and unmanage-able Saiyajin hair.

       "How Saiyajin is he, Goten-san? He looks like more than half, if you ask me," Pan noted, curiosity filling her voice.

       "I'm not sure. Do you think Trunks-kun could find out?…Good. Come on Tenshi," Goten grasped his son's hand, leading him towards the house. "Let's go see how much Vegeta-san is going to like you," he finished with a grin towards the Saiyajin no Ouji, who was meditating under a nearby tree. One eye opened to glare at Goten for his remark, however true it might have been. Pan stifled a giggle, entering the house when Goten opened the door for her.

       The trio met Trunks on his way outside, and pushed him back towards the lab, excited that he sported the knowledge required to fulfill their task.

       Now forming a small clan of demi-saiyajin, they filed into the lab, retreating to the opposite end from Mission: Hope. Bra watched anxiously from the other side of the room as Trunks drew a drop of blood from his nephew. She smirked with pride when Tenshi hardly batted an eye at the small prick. 

       "Holy shit," Trunks breathed after the machine finished processing the blood sample. 

       "What is it?" Goten queried, alarm causing his voice to rise slightly in pitch.

       "He's about 11/12ths Saiyajin. "I think his eye color is about his only Chikyuujin characteristic." All within hearing range of Trunks, which is to say all except Bulma, sat in stunned silence, letting this new information roll about in their minds. Pan looked pointedly into Trunks eyes, and he swallowed self-consciously. Tenshi gurgled happily, grasping his fathers arm and near jerking it out of joint.

       Trunks narrowed his eyes at his mate suspiciously. He moved quickly, grasping her arm and hauling her out into the hallway. 

       "Ouch! What the hell was that for?" Trunks ignored her protests, staring deeply into her dark eyes.

       "Is there something you need to tell me?" Her face closed off, and she glared at him.

       "Well I kind of figured you had noticed by now! I thought you were being some kind of asshole and ignoring it!" 

       "Gomen nasai (I'm very sorry)," he murmured, dropping to his knees to lean his forehead against her flat stomach, his hands holding gently to her hips. His head shot back up to look at her in shock.

       "How could I have not noticed that?" He wondered aloud, placing his cheek on her soon-to-be-not-so-flat stomach. She stroked his head softly. 

       "We need to talk to your Kaasan and Bra, they should know."

       "Kami, this certainly doesn't make anything easier."

**It couldn't be any harder…harder…harder**

*******

*sigh* That went quite well, if I do say so myself, (and I do).

       Go. Read. **_Rae George_**. Now. I. Order. You. She be awesome ^_^

       And check out **Stef-chan**. Even though she stole her own idea for herself…nevermind, that sounds idiotic. Anyways, go read her stuff! Long story short, our joint fic is post-poned, because she decided to do the story on her own. *glares at Stef-chan* ^_~ It was her idea, and while I am _very disappointed_ I will not be mad, because it was her idear in the first place. 

       I really want to make chapter 20 the end, but I dunno. I can draw it out a little so I get my 100 reviews, (which would be awesome beyond all reason!!) or all you lurker people who read without reviewing can tell me how good my fic is and I'll make it one big part. Just, review!! I only need 11 reviews!!!!!! 

       Help me Obi-Wan-Kenobi! You're my only hope! (Well, in this case you reviewers would be Obi-Wan)

       Did you not love the song? If you've ever heard it, you know how beautiful it is. I think I'll go listen to it now… ^_^

       Oh, one more thing! If you like reading fantasy books, go read 'The Wayfarer Redemption' by Sara Douglass!!!!  It is _such an awesome book!!_ But you know what's better? The Wheel of Time, by the great Robert Jordan. Oh yes, _much better_!!! I can't wait for Crossroads of Twilight…book 10!!!!!!!!!!!!  JOYFULNESS and HAPPINESS!!!

   *ahem* Review. Down theeeeere!

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        V


	20. TCtF Chapter 20

Wow, the last one, the big 2-0!! 20 is here in full force, as the final chapter. I'm writing this before I even begin typing, so I'm not sure if I'll make an epilogue or what…we'll have to see, ne?

    I would like to thank my #1 supporter and pal/fello angst otaku, Rae George!!! And thank you in advance for your continued support! You know, you're the only one that has reviewed _every_ _chapter_. But that's not the only reason you're my buddy. (Though it does help  ^_~)

    Also, Mistress Alexa, AGalaxiaGoddess, Lea, Trunks Saiyan Princess, and special thanks goes to Stef-chan! You guys are all so incredibly awesome!

    And I want to make an official apology, to Nekochan. Nekochan left a perfectly valid review, which I responded to in a rude and uncalled for manner. Nekochan, I am so sorry, and if you _never_ saw my response to your 'stupid question' then I am a very happy gal. Don't bother looking it up, I wasn't nice.

     And yes, I _am_ aware that it really isn't all that easy to get pregnant. Artistic license has been used here! Actually, a lot of the details in the last few chappies were spur of the moment. -_-;; So, um…yeah.

    I'm not going to disapppear completely! I've still got AiM and I'm working out a t/p that will relate to TCtF just a little bit. And my prequel (to TCtF) songfic, which will detail the events surrounding Bulma and Trunks' death. So be on the lookout, and let me know if you want to be informed when I get a new fic out.

    Well, here goes…

NOTE: _flashback_

**_*~To Change the Future~*_**

**_~*~_**

**_~Final chapter~_**

(~*~)

       "Kaasan," Trunks called, trying to gain the attention of his mother, who was head and shoulders into the guts of the time machine. "If we succeed with this, Pan and I won't be bonded anymore, correct? It will veritably undo our relationship, right?" He questioned, his tone anything but hopeful. 

       "I think that depends, Trunks. You will still have to come back here to visit, except that Pan will be different, and she may already have been attached to their Trunks. There is still a chance that you two will get _intimate_, but it's a small one." He nodded unenthusiastically, shuffling over to stand next to his mate, against the wall. She leaned against his side, and he moved his arm out of the way to put it around her shoulders as she snuggled closer to his chest. Both closed their eyes, conversing silently.

       Bra shook her head sadly at the sight, it was becoming more clear that not everyone would be completely happy with this arrangement. Of course, once they repaired both timelines the two could be together again, though not under the same circumstances. She had hoped that everyone would be made happier this way, but Trunks and Pan losing each other and their child, without the assurance that they would still end up together was anything but happy. Come to think of it, she and Goten faced the same obstacle. She pushed the melancholy thoughts from her head, focusing on her work.

       At least the renovations were going smoothly. The machine would be finished within minutes, as she and Bulma had simply installed the same scanner into it.

       After ensuring that Bulma could finish on her own, Bra sought out her father's ki signature. He seemed to be outside, meditating. 

       The warm spring air accosted her senses, the sugary flowers and unique scent of freshly mowed grass invading her nostrils in a pleasing, almost intoxicating manner. Vegeta was sitting with his back against a sprawling shady oak, his knees drawn up to his chest and encircled by muscular arms. His head was tilted back to rest on the gnarled bark, eyes closed, though she knew he wasn't asleep. Stting next to him softly, Bra leaned her head against her fathers shoulder, allowing her tired eyes to close momentarily. The tree failed to block the light of the setting sun, and closed eyes remedied that nicely.

       She sighed quietly before speaking, although her speech was audible only in the mind of her father. 

       _Are you ready to go back, Touchan? _She questioned softly. He heaved a deep sigh and opened his eyes, the black depths glowing surreally with the golden tint of the sun.

       _Hai_ he responded simply, wearily, as if his mind was worn out.

       _Are you allright? _She questioned worriedly, opening her eyes and laying a small hand on his arm.

       _I will be if you managed to make that damn time capsule work_ He replied, frustration tainting his tired tone.

       _It'll work_ She assured, standing up and pulling him to his feet. He wavered slightly once upright, but pushed away her steadying hand, mumbling something about sitting too long. They trudged around the outside of the building to the large door that opened directly into the lab. 

       "It's time for your crash course on time machine anatomy," Bra announced, much to Vegeta's dismay.

(~*~)

       Bulma watched as Vegeta told his daughter goodbye, kissing her forehead and receiving her hug without complaint. Again the time capsule blinked out of sight, and all her mind focused on her prayers for his success. His success would mean her success, the victory could finally be hers. Her race, her war against time, now in its final stages.  

(~*~)

       Golden stars whizzed by, drowning in a sea of deep blue. He saw ahead one star in particular, the one matching his own timeline, according to the capsule that he traveled in. To Vegeta's mind the trip was unbeliavably short, as he had a sense of shooting out into this sea of starlight and turning around to zoom straight back into the same golden point of light from which he left. 

       A bright flash blinded him, and he was back on Chikyuu, in a sprawling forest. He took a drink of water from the bottle he found under the seat and drifted to the ground, the hydraulic landing gear hissing as the machine touched down. He considered with much sarcasm how this was one of his first times landing without crashing. 

       Landing lightly on the ground, he pressed a panel to encapsulate the time machine. He sought out his own ki, locating…himself…in his usual haunt, the Gravity Room. He sped off in that direction, carefully masking his ki. The white-domed buildings rose casually above the horizon as he drew nearer. 

       He never stopped to touch the ground as he swiftly moved through the house, straight towards his counterpart. Without bothering to turn off the gravity he opened the door and quickly closed it once inside. His younger self was punching the air absently, his face contorted into a thoughtful scowl. He stopped upon seeing the older man enter, his face revealing very little of his shock. (AN: _V_egeta-older  _v_egeta-younger. Same deal as B&T)

     _She said it! Curse it all, she had actually said it, leaving him uncomfortable as hell as to how he should respond. Curled happily into his arms, she  told him **exactly** how she felt about him, kissing him softly. He hadn't responded, looking unsure of himself and her. The disappointment in her eyes gnawed at his soul, and she pulled away from him to sleep on her side of the bed._

_       He beat himself senseless mentally, cursing at once for being too weak and too strong for his, or her, own good._

       A little unnerved at being yanked from his thoughtsof the previous night, vegeta got the odd feeling that the man before him was recalling the same incident. Scanning the older warrior's appearance, he noted the dark, deadened eyes and pain filled expression. Vegeta closed his eyes momentarily, murmuring about how he should have told her…something.

       "So, how far in the future are you from?" The younger counterpart sneered resignedly, though a little uneasy at the elder's mumblings. He received a sigh in return.

       "Fifteen years ahead. I'm here to change our…_the _future." Having obtained his attention, Vegeta continued. Concentrating on a bitter image, he projected the sight of a mangled air car and crushed bodies to his counterpart. Looking at the older warrior in alarm, he furiously asked when it would occur.

       "Today, in about," glancing at the display on the console, "one hour. But this time, you _will_ go on your first ever shopping trip with her, and the whole family." At the younger mans frightened look, he added, "At least follow the car. This is the bastard." He sent another image, this one detailing the offending vehicle engulfing the front end of Bulma's car. 

       The gravity lightened to normal Chikyuu standards, sending both men a few feet into the air. Tiny and blue-haired, Bra burst through the door, babbling excitedly about the shopping trip she was about to embark on with her mother and brother.

       "Touchan, touchan! Are you gonna come with us? Huh? Huh? Please come Touchan!" She squealed, yanking heavily on her fathers hand (the younger one). He looked at her uncertainly before glancing at his counterpart, who was fixated on the girl, a small smile tugging at his lips, his eyes reflecting…tenderness? vegeta gave Bra a curt nod of acknowledgement. She skittered back out the door, barely pausing to notice her alternate father ruffling her hair as she exited. She grinned at him, assuming that he had simply moved quickly from his previous position on the other side of the chamber.

       Vegeta looked at the younger father pointedly, "The only survivor." vegeta paled noticeably. Turning to leave, Vegeta turned back momentarily. That same pain flickered strongly in his eyes as he said, "Tell her. She needs to hear it. I'm sure it won't be all that bad." He smirked, poorly covering his evident regret. 

       Vegeta left quickly without being seen, un-encapsulating the time machine and jumping in as soon as he was out of sight of the house. Drawing deep breaths to control his shaking hands, he initialized the launch sequence.

       He could feel his entire body quivering as conflicting emotions broiled through his mind. Fear, fear of failure, that his hope would be crushed into so many pieces. Hope, and excitement managing to puncture his fright.

       Bright blue sky abruptly shifted dark, golden-hued stars brightening the odd miniature galaxy.

(~*~)

       "Pan," Trunks whispered urgently, searching her face desperately. For what, he knew not. Her ki lessened noticeably as the small form within her disappeared. Her clothing changed somewhat, and her hair was a slightly different length. She blinked a few times, pulling out of his embrace to blush innocently.

       "Trunks-kun!" He flinched at the lack of intimacy in her tone. "Gomen nasai! I'll just be going…now." She stumbled out of the room, flustered to a large degree. He blinked back the still-forming tears, feeling the lack of any link between them, though it did not possess the painful emptiness displayed by Goten and Vegeta. His mind clung pitifully to the few memories they had shared, and found that the scenes were growing increasingly fuzzy and indistinct. He calculated that within a week he would have no recollection whatsoever of their time together. Victory could be such a bittersweet thing.

       Tenshi simply disappeared, and his mother changed drastically. Her training outfit changed into a short skirt and a tight shirt. Her boots became high heels, and her hair grew longer, makeup appearing on her already gorgeous features. Lean, well-toned muscle gave way to feminine curves. Goten must have altered also, but more on the inside, Trunks supposed, as Goku's youngest appeared to only be wearing different clothing.

       bulma's halo fazed out of existence, and a second Bulma appeared, seeminglly in the midst of working on some project.

       Trunks could sense his counterpart's ki in the gravity room, training half-heartedly. He questioned Bra about the past few days, and received very different responses than he expected. Excusing himself, Trunks found his mother explaining to her counterpart what had occurred, and that Vegeta would be a changed man for the space of about a week, until his memory altered to fit the current state of things. Bulma seemed to take it all in stride, only interrupting to voice a question. 

       No sooner had she finished than Trunks was compelled to whisper, "He's here," in response to the sensation of his father's ki registering outside. Bulma ran out of the lab and upstairs, while her counterpart and alternate son headed outdoors. 

       Vegeta was climbing out of the time machine as they neared, and he strode over to them purposefully. Trunks noticed the difference in his disposition immediately, that painful, haunted look was gone, excitement flickering in the depths of his dark eyes. A few scars on his arms were fading, and his face betrayed more color than it had since they arrived, and most likely long before that. 

       "It worked," he stated, and he looked ready to dance a jig, though in a strictly Vegeta sort of way. Trunks was checking over the machine, pleased to see that it had come through unscathed. He looked over to see his alternate father and his mohter staring at each other. Vegeta grasped her by the shoulders and kissed her forehead lightly.

       "Arigatou gozaimasu (thank you very much)," He told her.  She smiled and nodded, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before moving away. She allowed Trunks to assist her in climbing into the machine, waving a happy, smiling goodbye. Trunks joined her in a moment's time, and both turned to see Vegeta stalking into the house, via the balcony jutting out from their bedroom.

       "So Trunks," bulma began conversationally. "Think you can work that same magic on our timeline?" 

(~*~)

       Pausing in his short flight to the balcony, Vegeta lowered himself back to the ground, resolving to enter through the house and see what, if anything, was different. The house was more modern, and he had a vague feeling that they had re-modeled it a few years back. Bra was rooting through the pantry for a bag of chips, and he stared at her attire. So… feminine. She had always been on the tom-boyish side, unless she was at work. She turned to face him, her quick smile turning to puzzlement at the odd expression on his face. 

       "Touchan, are you okay? You're in for lunch early. Kio is looking for you." she informed him, even as a cry of "Tousan!" resonated through the house.

       "You don't have to scream about it!" Bra reprimanded the livid fifteen year old that entered the kitchen, tail twitching in annoyance. The girl's angry blue eyes confronted her father from beneath her scowl, black hair cut short to avoid its odd upward swoop. Her outfit reflected Bra's previous training outfit exactly. 

       "Well I wasn't calling _you_ was I Bra? No, your name is not 'Tousan' as I recall. Unless you changed it without informing me?" Bra glared at her before stalking out of the room. Kio smirked triumphantly, facing Vegeta again.

       "Tousan, Kaasan wants you. But be quick, you've already taken a long break!" She informed before leaving her shocked father to stand in silence. She had called him, Tousan? How much had this place changed? making a mental note ot look into the events surrounding her birth, Vegeta headed up the stairs, hands shaking once again. A note was stuck on the closed door, informing him that Bulma knew what had happened to him in the past fifteen years, thanks to her counterpart. 

       He could feel her inside, taking a shower. He relished the feel of their bond, complete once again. His will converted to movement, and his trembling hand closed over the door knob, twisting and pushing the door open. He listened as the shower cut off, and she opened the stall door. Steam poured from the open bathroom, though the angle prevented him from seeing anything but toilet and sink. 

       His breath quickened when she appeared from the steam, wrapped in a not-quite-so-large towel. He swallowed, attempting to return some semblance of moisture to his suddenly dry mouth. She proceeded forward to stand in front of the Saiyajin, laying one hand on his chest. 

       "Welcome home Vege-chan," she whispered, laying her lips on his own. He responded immediately, arms around her waist pulled her body flush with his as her arms wound around his neck. Moving from her lips, he kissed a trail down her jaw, continuing downward until he found a small bite mark imprinted upon her neck. He nuzzled the area affectionately, causing her to shiver with delight. He worked his mouth back up to her ear, whispering urgently.

       "Bulma, I should have told you long ago…I have regretted every day that went by without you knowing that, that…" he drew back to look her in the eye. "Ai shiteru Bulma-chan."  He leaned his forehead against hers, becoming lost in her oceanic eyes.

       "Baka," she chided gently, a dazzling smile removing whatever breath was left in his lungs as she tok his face in her hands. "You've told me that numerous times in the past fifteen or so years. I love you too, Vegeta no Ouji."

       "When?" he breathed.

       "When what?"

       "When was the first time I, I said…" She nodded.

       "I'd say about fifteen years ago. We all went to the mall, and somehow you sensed the danger when we were driving and stopped us from getting into a really messy accident. You never did tell me how you knew. That night you told me. I still think that was when Kio was conceived." She smiled seductively, and he growled ferally. 

       "_I_ can tell you how I knew," he uttered, kissing her deeply. He walked backwards without breaking contact, drawing her down on the bed with him. He was suddenly happy that he had remembered to lock the door. She pulled away to put her lips near his ear, ignoring his shocked expression as she spoke.

       "Now I won't ever leave you."

*~The End~*

       *sobs* I can't believe it's over!!! I'm glad I have another fic on the way, that'll help to ease the pain. ^_^

       Thank you all so much! I love you guys!  I can't believe I'll actually get 100 reviews out of this, that's so freaking amazing!! 

**Rae George: Thank you so much for all of your support and often times very amusing reviews. Fabio's all yours honey, eat your heart out. Literally eat your heart out.  I wouldn' touch Fabio with a 39 ½' pole. Yuck.**

**Misstress Alexa: All of your reviews were wonderful and helpful! Thank you for taking the time to put me on your favorites list, it's so cool! I think you're the one that mentioned my fics all being dath related. Which is true. -_-;  Earlier this year (the first two weeks of this year) a friend of the family lost his wife, and then my Great Grandma passed away. To be blunt, this New Year sucked royally. So, yeah, death has been on my mind lately. TCtF was even post-poned in its debut. It didn't feel right authoring a fic featuring a guy losing his mate at the time. BTW, tahnks for the idea about Kai being Shin (sort of). It was extremely helpful. ^_^**

**AGalaxiaGoddess: Thank you for putting my fic on your site, tell me when it's working again and I'll email you the other chapters! Your reviews wre so helpful, and you actually inspired me to write the bit with (M.) Bulma freaking out about Ju-hachi. Thank you for everything, don't lose touch!**

**Lea: My fellow Ryoko fan. ^_^ You've been a very loyal reviewer, and we've even emailed occasionally. ^_^ Thank you so much!**

**Stef-chan: My dear Stef-chan. ^_^ My future co-author for…something. o_O;  We'll get it figured out! Thank you so much for your reviews!! I love reviews. ^____^**

**pannybaby123: Thank you for reviewing and enjoying my fic.  It's so nice to hear that I'm loved. ^_^ Or at least that my creation is loved. You always left the most uplifting reviews.**

**Pretty Pink Kitty: Where'd you go? You haven't reviewed the last few chapters. *cries* Please come back!  **

**Bishoujo439: Your reviews always made me laugh. Good stuff! ^_^**

**Trunks' Saiyajin Princess: Thank you so much! I love your reviews and encouragement!!**

**I can't list everybody, gomen! I would be here all day!**

**devil's lil imp**

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**Most of you left at least one review, and I hope you found your way to the finale!!**

**Thank you everybody! I love you! (Aw, heck, I'm gonna cry! Well…maybe not)**

***~The Illustrious Beji-chan~***


	21. TCtF Epilogue

Daaaaaamn. Just read Silver Springs, by Severina. Awesome fic, but major depression factor. Go read it!

     So, here I am _again_, writing the epilogue, detailing the Mirai events after Bulma and Trunks return. Man, I am so freaking depressed after that story!  There's no way I'll sleep well if I don't cheer myself up, so I'll dwell on my reviews!  Again, thank you everyone for reviewing, I even sucked in a few new people on that last chapter…or maybe they were just lurkers, waiting till the last chapter to review. Whatever it was, I know it's because…ah, gomen, I'm quoting P.O.D songs now. ^_^;  

     Here we go! Remember, this is Mirai timeline!

_*~To Change the Future~*_

(~*~)

_*~Mirai Epilogue~*_

       "So, you think you can redo your work on their timeline, Trunks-chan?" Bulma questioned her son as he climbed back into the time capsule. She passed bags of food up to him, snacks for his trip, and other much-needed supplies.

       "Sure. It wasn't too hard, and actually I know what to expect now."

       "Don't let that stop you from making the same mistakes," she advised walking deeper into the lab to retrieve some small piece of hardware.

       "I won't," Trunks assured, letting the top of the machine slide into place. He watched her intently till she placed the small patch of metal she had retrieved on her temple, wincing at the slight prick when it connected itself to her.

       She lay a hand against the cool metal of the time machine, ritually tracing the four-lettter word etched onto its surface. She backed away when the engines began their hum, waving goodbye in excitement as he disappeared yet again. 

       She caressed the small piece of hardware softly, smiling to herself. It would separate her from the current timeline to some degree, allowing that week long memory fade to occur. She wanted to celebrate in her victory, not abruptly become the woman she should have been.

       Having only three hours to kill before Trunks' return, she sat at the nearest console. She spoke quickly but with great detail, explaining the events of her past few days, the history of the alternate timeline, and their own tragic story. She paused a few times to eat and go to the restroom, once taking a cat-nap, but she was finished with an hour to spare. 

       Deciding that Trunks would be hungry when he returned, she proceeded to prepare a large meal, with a little extra, just in case.

         (AN: Isn't it odd how you can be writing along at a good clip, and suddenly your inspiration dies and your like, d*mn, I need a break! (Or a good night's rest, as the case may be… -_-;; ))

(~*~) 

       "How would you like to fight a real Super Saiyan…and I'm not talking about Goku," Trunks stated, not for the first time he was grateful to himself for keeping that log of exactly what had gone on so many years ago.  It was like memorizing a script. It was difficult not to skip over things and get right down to the point, as he was wont to do.

       He sighed, it would be a long few years work…

(~*~)

       Finishing up the potatoes, Bulma covered the dish and set it on the table. She stood straight again and froze, a certain scent assaulting her nose. Without pausing to wonder at how well she recalled his scent after he trained, she closed her eyes, inhaling his scent deeply again.  She feared that her legs would give way if she saw him, but turned around anyway.

       She trembled unontrollably as she took in the sight of him, wearing black shorts that left little to the imagination (though it only made her imagine _more_), tennish shoes, and a white towel draped around his neck. His skin shone with a sheen of sweat, face almost pink with exertion. Taking a few steps toward him, she lay a small hand on his chest.

       "Vegeta," she breathed, becoming lost in his eyes. One eyebrow hiked up at her odd behavior, but he reluctantly curled an arm around her waist. Falling against him, she cried softly. Vegeta was now truly puzzled.

       "What in Kami's name is wrong with you woman?" He questioned peevishly. She quieted slightly at the sound of his voice.

       "Do you remember when Trunks came back to warn us about the androids?"

       "Baka, of course I do," she nodded, brushing off his remark.

       "That was _our_ Trunks. He was describing the way this timeline was until just a few moments ago. We finally found a way to correct our own past, and change _our_ future. So, I haven't really seen you in thirty years, a least as I recall. My memories will gradually revert back to the way things have happened, as you know they've happened. It'll take about a week, and then I'll be the way you know me again."

       "Thirty years, huh?" She nodded. Smirking, he leaned his head down to speak softly in her ear. "Well then I don't suppose you would mind a quick seduction before dinner, eh?" She giggled. 

       "Not at all, though I might prefer a long seduction instead," she smiled up at him coyly.

       "Ugh, I heard that you two! Gross…" Bra called from where she had appeared at the table, stomach rumbling menacingly. Bulma found herself smiling happily at the presence of their daugter.

       "Shut up brat, you shouldn't be eavesdropping anyway," Vegeta replied waspishly, though his tone lacked any real malice.

       Moving too fast for Bulma too detect, Vegeta threw her over his shoulder. She found herself unable to call up any anger at him though, her eyes mesmerized by the soft sway of his tail as he walked. She ran her hand down it, from base to tip. He stopped midstep, groaning quietly. Deciding quickly that he was not in any obvious pain, she repeated the caress, this time in reverse. His breath quickened even as he leaned against the wall for support. She smirked, grateful that the kids could feed themselves.

(~*~)

       "Kaasan! I'm ba—" Trunks turned on his heel and walked the other direction, moritified at the sight of his parents making out in the hallway, now only half-dressed. Thankfully, all their important parts had been covered, but it didn't lessen the shock.

       "Niichan! Dinner's in here," Bra's voice floated to him from the kitchen. Catching the look on his face as he entered, she continued. "They didn't make it did they?" She received a puzzled frown from her sibling. "They started getting horny on each other in the kitchen, and you know that if it starts in the kitchen, they never make it farther than that hallway. You found that out the hard way, 'member?" He nodded, vaguely recalling the intance. No teenager could come away from seeing their parents doing _that_ without suffering a few mental scars. He shuddered, shrinking away from the awful mental picture that was associated with the memory.

       Laughing evilly, Bra gestured for him to sit. Kio wandered through the kitchen moments later, gathering herself a plate of food befor heading outside to eat alone. Trunks shook his head, though he allowed himself a small smile at his accomplishment. All was well.

       Shaking her head, Pan entered the kitchen, obviously having walked past Trunks parents on her way to food. She looked weary and frustrated as she sat down next to Trunks, who was trying hard to hide his shock. 

       "Your turn, _dad_," she muttered, jerking her thumb upstairs. He could almost hear a child crying from a room above their heads. "I tried feeding her, changing her, whatever. She's only happy when somebody is holding her, and if I hold her anymore, my arms will fall off." He nodded, kissing Pan on the lips quickly and heading upstairs. 

       Following the childs ki easily, he came upon the room ajoining his own. A crib was tucked in the corner, near the large picture window.  

       A tiny infant, no more than two weeks old was bawling loudly, her short fuzz of blue hair matted to her head from sleep. Clenched fists waved randomly through the air, and the sight of her set his memory on fire, the entire thirty years of his life replaced with new data. Clenching the crib tightly to keep from falling, he found himself suddenly able to recall the child's, _his_ child's name. 

       Bulma continued crying at the lack of attention from her father, who still looked rather dazed. Recovering somewhat, he joyously picked up the child, quieting her by rubbing his thumb from her forehead to the tip of her nose. (AN: My dad did that when I was a baby, it worked) 

       "Touchan, why's Bulma cryin'? Is she sick?"

       "Iie, Kizu-chan, she's just grumpy," he answered the child that entered the room and clung to his leg, staring with wonder up at the bundle in his arms. Her short, deep purple hair fell into her eyes, and she brushed it aside in a familiar gesture. Dark ebony eyes regarded him quietly. He thought for a moment, recalling Pan's age. Twenty-two. Four year's older than she was in the alternate timeline. And Bra was twenty-four. 

       "Trunks-ojisan(uncle)! Could you make her be quiet? Kaasan said I was gonna get the beating of my life if I don't get my _nap_," the word was spoken with such disgust from the toddler's mouth that Trunks couldn't help grinning at his nephew. Little Tenshi. Somehow he coouldn't mistake which grandfather the child resembled as he glared at the disruptive Chibi Bulma. One hand was resting on his hip while the other hung loosely by his side. Trunks smiled even wider.

       His little empire, his largest accomplishment, his resurrected never-to-have-been family.

(~*~)

       "Mmm…You've gotten good Vegeta," Bulma remarked, stretching lazily in the comfort of their bedroom. 

       "That is because I remember all the…practice…I've had. You'd better freshen up your skills or I might not do this with you again," he smirked, folding his arms behind his head. She ignored his very empty threat.

       "You're saying this is our third favorite pasttime? I think it involves some of number two also. You sure put up a fight when I laid down that full house." (AN: Hentais!)

       "That is because you cheated, by using the mirror behind me. I could have cheated too you know, I do have a direct link to your _mind_," he reminded. She stood and walked over to the window, watching the sun set. Vegeta was behind her in a moment, resting his head on her shoulder with his arms around her middle. "We started playing poker when?" she questioned, leaning against him, eyes closing relaxedly. 

       "When we were snowed in, Trunks was three." He buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing heavily of her scent. "What do you say we get back to number one?" She jumped when he nipped her neck, then smoothed over the nip with a kiss. Turning to face him, she put her arms around his neck, tilting her head back for a long kiss. She pulled back for a breath, though kept their lips in contact, sharing air easily. She spoke softly, her voice filled with emotion.

       "I missed you."

**_*~The End~*_**

****

****

   Wow! Now it's really done! Well, minus the prequel, but I'm giving myself a break and some time to think before that happens. 

    By the way, **_Kio_** is Japanese (of course), meaning **_Past, or Bygone_**. Like I said, she was from my very first fic, and the name happened to fit in both circumstances. You will never see that fic, at least until I can redo it and figure out anything for it. 

     **_Kizu(na)_** means **_Bond_**, or **_Tie Between People_**. Hehe. I thought it was BRILLIANT!!! Am I not a brilliant name-thinker-upper?? I think so. ^_^

       My joint fic with the wondrous Stef-chan is still in the planning stages, and I'll be sure to let anyone who's interested know when I get new stories out. 

       Once again, thank you so much for your reveiws and support!!! I never dreamed that I would get so many reveiws!! Y'all are so incredibly awesome!


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